The Boy With the Bread
by Acacia Fynn Mellark
Summary: This is the story of death, of loss, and of conquest. But, then why am i forced to play this as a love story' Peeta Mellark must fight so he can die. Can she win, and will he win with her? Peeta's POV of the Hunger Games! i suck at summaries... Oh well...
1. THe girl with my heart

**Me: Hello this is the begining of our Hunger Games! :D**

**Katniss: Can i ask why that gets a smily face?**

**Me: Because i get to write/read about Peeta the whole time**

**Katniss: But i'm forced to fall in love in love with him!**

**Me: And thats bad because...**

**Katniss: SHe doesnt own me or the hunger games...**

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><p>I pushed the bread back into the oven. Five more minutes I decided as I closed the door. I listened as I heard the pigs squeal frightened about something. Mother heard as well because she glanced out the window. I looked as well and saw a girl digging around in the empty trash cans. Poor girl her normally dark skin was pale, her bones stuck out and I bet I could count her ribs. Her grey eyes looked cloudy and her hair frail. She looked familiar…. My eyes widened and I had to look away.<p>

It was Katniss Everdeen, the girl whose mother is my father's first love. The girl who's younger sister could heal anything. The girl whose father was dead because of those stupid coal mines. Katniss, the girl that set my heart racing every time I saw her. She looked like the people you saw on the side of the street that the peacekeepers hadn't picked up yet. _No_, I thought_, don't die you can't! I haven't even said hi to you yet._ Mother stomped out side angrily yelling at her to get away. I stood behind her watching, she looked like she'd be dead by morning. Katniss pulled herself toward the pigs and leaned against a tree. Mom came back in grumbling annoyed.

I opened the door to the oven and saw the bread was burned. Uh oh. Mother saw it and before I could brace myself hit me on the side of the head. It stung and I rubbed my cheek. She threw the burned bread at me and yelled at me again. It burning in my hands but I was use to it, I might only be 11 but my hands have more burns than my fathers. She pushed me outside and told me to feed it to the pigs and how I couldn't do anything right. I tore pieces of the bread off and threw them to the pigs. They snorted and ate eagerly even though they were fatter than me and my 2 brothers combined. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Katniss staring at me.

I realized our pigs were fat enough and threw what was left of the first loaf at her. Then quickly the other, before running inside out of the rain. As I stepped inside I was drenched and Mother yelled once more about how I was soaking the floors. But I didn't care because out of the corner of my eye I saw Katniss hug the loaves of bread tightly and smiling as she ran back toward her house. I smiled slightly as I was pushed up the stairs to my room.

Katniss Everdeen was happy, and I was the reason for it.

**(Ok so yeah randomly the last time i uploaded this it didn't work and did it 3 times... Sorry but now its up and working i swear! Thnaks for reading and please follow and Review! Thanks~ Kyo Mellark... Oh and PS do you like how i set peeta up? like his personality and such? I didn't want him to have burned the bread on purpose but still have him happy he did it. anyways yep i'm done by!****)**


	2. How hard does he try?

2

**Me: Hey people! SO i hope your enjoying this! Please remember to review!**

**Peeta: Um arent you forgetting something.**

**Me:*Drooling over Peeta, and going totally fan girl on him.***

**Peeta: Ugh, She doesnt own me or the Hunger Games in any way...**

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><p><em>Of course that was years ago<em>, I think to myself, _she probably doesn't even remember me_. I ponder that fact as I stand at the register of the bakery. The bell chimes telling me that someone's just entered. I glance up and put on a fake smile as I say. "Welcome to the bakery, what can I get for you?" I look at the guy as I try to remember his name. Gale, Katniss's best friend that she hunts with out in the woods. I can see the 3 squirrels hooked to his belt and I call to my father to come down. He does and when he sees Gale and smiles.

"How many for a loaf of bread?" He asks my father. He tells him only one today and I turn grabbing a loaf. My father shakes his head and tells me to grab one of the fresh ones and I just nod as I run to the back. For once i'm happy Gale came in, because once again i would have forgotten and burned the bread. Sense Father was getting older and Mother only backed the cookies, I was trained to bake everything in the bakery. I always had to wake up the earliest and start the food and open the bakery.

No one normally came earlier than 7. Gale must really want that bread. I grab the four raisan nut bread loafs and lay three out to cool. I take the other along with a bag of flour and brought it up front. Gale looks me over slightly but smirks as I hand him the bread.

"Have a good day Gale, good luck at the reaping's." My father says with a smile. Gale grins slightly and tells me good luck as well. I nod thankfully even though I doubt I'll be in. My name's in the minimum for my age so I think only 4 times. Were people like Gale have their names are in 42 times. And Katniss will have her name in 20 times. I shudder at the thought of have to watch her be killed in the games.

I drop the flour as Gale head out and I slip off the black flour covered shirt as I run up the stairs. I shut the door behind me as I enter Baggett's and I's bedroom. Baggett is the oldest of our family, then there's Nickel which is short for Pumpernickel, a bread from the dark days that is similar to our Nickel loaf bread. I'm the youngest and luckily make's sure that I will not have terrace ever. Father will only allow the oldest to enter for terrace and our business is running well enough I won't need to when I'm 18.

I open the dresser and pull out a white button up shirt and a black dress vest. I slip them on when there's a knock at the door. Baggett comes in with a smile that matches the brightness in his blue eyes. Yesterday he turned 19. He doesn't have to be in the games. He is finally safe from the blood bath that is the capital.

"Don't worry Peetee your name's in there what 4, 5 times? That kid Gale or Jack will be in not you." He says as he hands me his old dark jeans. I slip them on and then tie my black shoes. I just look at him once I'm done and I see he really means it.

"I'll miss you when you move out. Then I'll be stuck in a room with Nickel so Mom will have room for Pepper." Pepper is the name of my new little sister/brother. Mom's 2 months away but has been complaining more and more about pain so we think it might only be a 3 to 4 weeks. Baggett laughs and pulls me down the stairs. Mom more or less just glares at us along with Nickel. Dad smiles and hugs my shoulders and presses his hand on my back pushing me toward the Justice Building.

I sign myself in and go to the 16-year-old section and walk to my group of friends. I smile at a few girls and wave to Baggett's girlfriend, Aloe, who stands in the 17-year-old girl section. She smiles slightly but it's hard to smile today if you aren't sure whose going to die. The mayor starts the normal speech which we must listen to every year. Some of my friends make fun of it making us laugh slightly but its hard to laugh. He finishes and Effie Trinket stands as she trills.

"Ladies first!" She dips her hand in to the girls bowl and I can think is 'please not her, please!'

"Primrose Everdeen!" Effie says delighted and I sigh relieved. It's not Katniss its Primrose Everdeen! _Wait_, I think, _Prim… Everdeen… Katniss's little sister!_ My eyes widen as I look over to Prim who walks forward like her feet are made lead. Then I hear Katniss.

"Prim… Prim!" It sounds like she's choking. "I volunteer!" She shrieks as she makes it the aisle in front of Prim as if she could protect her from everything. "I volunteer as tribute!" Effie and the mayor glance at each other discussing how to go with it. As it happens Prim is clutching to her and Gale has to literally come and tear her off. Finally its all quiet and the discussion is final. The mayor allows it and Katniss becomes the new tribute. I don't hear much but I do see Haymitch, district 12's previous victor, runs on stage yelling some nonsense then head diving off stage. I shake my head and crack a small smile but it disappears pretty quickly. Effie puts her hand into the boy's bowl and pulls out a name. I hold my breath and release it in a gasp.

"Peeta Mellark!" She trills once more and I can feel the blood drain from my face as I walk up stage. My eye's flicker around looking for a volunteer to save me. But volunteers are rare and I just see myself on the huge screen looking like a startled rabbit. I stand on stage next to Katniss looking for my family. Nickel looks relieved, Mother annoyed, Father has a few tears, and Aloe and Baggett are sobbing. The mayor starts another speech that last forever when I glance over at Katniss. Her face is pale and she's looking at her feet deep in thought. _I wonder if she remembers me_, I think but then shake my head at the thought. I just look back at the mayor until he finishes. And once he does me and Katniss shake hands and our lead to our goodbye rooms. I'm shoved in and I start balling.

"This isn't fair! It's just not fair!" I whisper over and over.

"Yeah I know it is." Baggett and Aloe say as they walk in. I stand and hug them tightly afraid it will be my last. And they do the same until Aloe says.

"Peeta you have to return, I want you make my wedding cake." She says sadly. I smile slightly and nod but I know it's a lie. I won't come back if I have to kill Katniss in the process.

"If you don't come back I'll name our son after you." Baggett says and I only nod. The peacekeepers lead them out and Mother and Nickel come in. They both start complaining how I will never win and I can't be trusted with a knife.

"She's a survivor, that one." Mother says right before they leave. She, meaning Katniss, has a chance of course. If I could hunt in the woods for 4 years with Gale then I would be able to win to.

"Oh Peeta just come home with her." My father says when he hugs me. And that's it. He just leaves without another word. I shake my head and the peacekeepers lead me out. I see Katniss her face hard and emotionless and almost bored. I must look like a total wimp compared to her, but I don't care. I just follow as we get on the train and are whisked off to our deaths.


	3. Train to hell

**Peeta: I dont want to kill her!**

**Me: I know Peeta I know let it all out.**

**Peeta: Um, i'm good, you scare me...**

**Me: Well just be happy i dont own you or the hunger games!**

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><p>3<p>

The train it fast. At first I cant breath but I get over quickly, as I watch out the window for a moment. I was on a train once before when I was younger, because Father needed more supplies and we couldn't get them in district 12. I remember how we had to fight with the capitol before they even let us look at the trains. After we used most of our funds we were on the train into district 9 for grains. I was only 8 or 9 but it was still amazing. But right now, when I don't know if I will be returning with my father, it just makes me sick. And anyways this isn't the train me and my father went on. We had to go on a stupid coal powered thing that went 50 miles per hour max, making me out of school for a week or two.

I stand in my chamber looking at all the stuff. My own bedroom, dressing room, private bathroom, and drawers filled with cloths. Katniss was over to my left and I wanted to go see her, check if she was ok. But I had a feeling that wouldn't help at all. I slip into the shower wiping myself clean of the coal dust that settles on everything in district 12.

I turn the water on cold like normal until I remember I don't have to worry about running out. I crank the heat so it feels like my whole body is in the oven on low heat. I finish washing off, and step out drying off and dressing in a pair of loss jeans and a black shirt. Haymitch start knocking on the door, sounding slightly more sober than the last time I saw him. He leads me out to the dining room and tells me to sit down.

"I'll be in my room knocking off the hangover." He tells me and leaves the room. I lean back in the chair waiting for Effie and Katniss to come out. It doesn't take long, maybe 5 minutes before they come. Katniss wears a green shirt and black pants with a gold pin hooked to the shirt. She sits next to me when Effie asks were Haymitch is.

"Last time I saw him, he was going to take a nap." I answer.

"Well, it's been an exhausting day." But she looked relieved that he wasn't there.

Food comes out in courses, each one getting better as they come. Carrot soup, salad, lamb chops, mashed potatoes, cheese and fruit, and lastly chocolate cake. The cake is heavenly and I try to think of how we'd make it at the bakery.

I don't know how the chocolate would work out, sense we have to mix a lot together just to make vanilla. I'd have to see if we could get cocoa beans or if maybe Katniss or Gale had seen them. The frosting would be simple if I had cocoa beans, but I had no idea what berries were on top of it.

I eat hungrily. It's not like I never have had food in my life. We eat anything burned or stale and if we can afford it we sometimes eat fresh bread. Like on birthdays, or graduation. Effie makes a remark about how last year's tributes had no table manners. _Of course they didn't,_ I think, _they were from the Seam and days away from starvation._

My mother would kill me I had no manners, and Katniss's mother once lived in town at an apothecary shop so she of course had manners. But I saw that she made a point of eating the rest of her meal with her fingers making me hold back a laugh. She wiped her hands on the tablecloth and Effie looked like she was about to blow a fuse.

They take our plates away and I see I can barely hold down what I've just eaten. It was all too rich and I forgot that anything to rich make me sick. My father's the same but Katniss looks like she's trying hard to. They lead us into the next room over so that we can watch a replay of the reaping's. I watch as the first 4 districts are all volunteers and all of them will be Career's. The rest I don't pay much attention to except for the youngest ones. District 11's tributes are night and day. One a little 12-year-old dark skinned, scrawny girl names Rue who reminds me of a bird. The other is a huge, dark and tall. He scares me slightly and I really hope I don't need to go against him.

Then ours, Katniss running up protecting Prim, the silence, and I see for the first time the solute that they give her. Haymitch yelling nonsense then head diving off stage. Then me frightened and quiet as I walk up on stage. I look like a weakling in comparison to her, but maybe that's a good thing. I don't look physically weak, years of lifting 100 pound bags of flour has giving me broad shoulders and muscles that any guy would be proud of. But if I can pretend to be weaker, like I can't use my strength than maybe I can trick them into leaving me alone or killing me quickly. But I doubt that will work.

"Your mentor has a lot to learn about presentation. A lot about televised behavior." Effie says playing with her wig. I laugh burst out of me and it surprises everyone.

"He was drunk!" I say through the laughter. "He's drunk every year!"

"Every day." Katniss adds with a smirk. Effie makes an irritated sound, that make me laugh a little harder.

"Yes." She hisses at us. "How odd you two find it amusing. You know your mentor is your life line to the world in these games. The one who advises you, lines up your sponsors, and dictates the presentation of any gifts. Haymitch can well be the difference between your life and your death!"

Right when she finishes Haymitch staggers in asking if he missed supper. Then he vomits all over the floor and falls into it. My laughter is cut short as I stare at the mess holding my breath.

"So laugh away!" Effie says with a dark smirk. Then she hops around the mess and flees before anyone can ask her to help.

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><p><strong>(AN: So yep how are you liking it so far? I know i ask like every chapter but i just want to be sure people like it. thanks remember follow and review!~ Kyo Mellark)**


	4. Only for her, Ill die

**Peeta: Ok she owns nothing and i offically hate her for making me clean up Haymitch alone.**

**Me: You know thats actully part of the origanal story. right?**

**Peeta: Yeah but i cant yell at her.**

**Me: What ever**

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><p>4.<p>

I stare at Haymitch as he tries to stand but just keeps falling back into the mess. The smell is to much and I start breathing out of my mouth which isn't really helping. Katniss and I glance at each other. Much to my disappointment, Effie is right. Haymitch needs to straighten up if either of us wants a chance at winning. Me and Katniss bend over and take either one of Haymitch's arms and lift him to his feet.

"I tripped?" He asks. "Smells bad." He has no idea,

"Let's get you back to your room," I say. "Clean you up a bit."

I half carry half drag Haymitch back to his room. I know Katniss is trying but she looks ill and I don't think she'll be much help. We bring him into the bathroom and throw him into the bathtub. I think he passed out once we started walking.

"It's okay." I tell Katniss when I see how ill she really looks. "I'll take it from here."

Relief floods over her and she nods.

"All right, I can send one of the Capital people to help you." She offers but I shake my head

"No. I don't want them." I wouldn't let the people who want to watch me die help me clean my mentor. She rushes from the room and I'm left looking over Haymitch. I start stripping him down to his boxers but stop there. I turn on the water which wakes him up slightly. I wash the vomit from his face and chest. Luckily he didn't have much anywhere else. I turn the water on freezing and he shoots up grumbling about something. He looks at me and cocks his head slightly to the side.

"Where's that girl? She was here wasn't she?" He asked without a slur.

"Yeah she was, but I told her that I could clean you up with out her. She ran for the hills when I said she could go." I threw a new pair of boxers from the drawers in his room and turned my back to him. He grumbled and when he didn't move for a few minutes I turned around.

"You should have made her help you. But I guess now she's in debt to you, and sense she's from the Seam she wont take that lightly." He says as I lead him back into his bedroom. I pull back the blankets and he crawls in slowly, probably mad that I'm taking care of him.

"Well I only want her to not kill me or kill me quickly." I say with a shrug and he grumbles.

"Just sleep Haymitch and dream of the spirit." I mutter and he laughs without amusement. I leave the room and see a guy with black hair cleaning the vomit. I shake my head.

"Let me do that, he's my mentor." I say trying to take cleaner. He shakes his head annoyed and cock my head.

"What's your problem? I just wanna help you, eh..?" I struggle for his name. Instead of answering he opens his mouth. I look at him the gasp. He has no tongue, no way of speaking. I stare at him as he closes his mouth. I look away and mutter sorry. I just stand there for a moment then start helping him as well as I can. Dragging in new soap water and chemicals until he finishes, which is only 10 minutes later. I help him drag the rest of the stuff into a storage closet and he smiles gratefully at me. I smile back and he makes a rough sound in the back of his throat that sounds like my 'Enrick.'

"Enrick? Is that your name?" I ask and he just nods with a small grin as he rushes to the back of the train. I turn heading back to my chamber and take another shower trying to erase the smell of vomit. It takes only a few buttons to mix a colon into the water. I step out and dry myself again slipping on a pair of sweat pants. Then I crawl into bed and I'm asleep in no time.

I wake at 7 without Haymitch or Effie yelling at me. I get up and through on jeans and a T-shirt, heading back to Haymitch's room. He's clutching something in his and as I shake him up. He lashes out with a knife and I leap back. He sees it's me and puts the knife down. I tell him he needs to be dressed and out for breakfast soon. He throws on dark pants and a dark shirt, shoving a flask in his pocket. I role my eyes, he really can't go a hour without alcohol. We head down to the dining car, he sits across from me. Effie sits, annoyed, next to Haymitch.

"So when's that brat getting up?" Haymitch asks Effie.

"I'll go get her in a few minutes." Effie says not looking at him.

"She's not a brat." I mutter looking at the hot cup of brown liquid in front of me. It smells like chocolate. I remember my dad buying some. It was called hot chocolate and it was heavenly. I take a role and dip it into the drink and eat it, careful not to gorge myself. Its even better than I remember Haymitch and Effie look at me.

"Why do you care if I call her a brat?" He says. Effie shakes her head and rushes out of the room, probably to go get her.

"I don't know. She's good business and if she come back I would like for her to still buy from my father. She always gets good squirrels." I say though that's not really it. And Haymitch knows it.

"Or is it because you like her, and don't like listening to me drag on her." He says leaning over the table slightly. I lean back rolling my eyes, even though he's right. I can feel blood rush to my face and Haymitch laughs, happy he was right.

"Sit down! Sit down!" He yells and I guess Katniss just came in. They serve her a huge plate of food and different kinds of drinks. She's eyeing the hot chocolate confused.

"They it they call hot chocolate. Its good." I say as I dunk part of the roll into it again. She picks up the cup at takes a sip. A shutter runs through her, which make me chuckle slightly. I pick at the food but manly just dunk roles in hot chocolate. Haymitch barely eats just adding my spirit to some red juice. Katniss leans back in her chair. She glares at Haymitch for some reason and I just watch quietly. The tension is like my house.

If you replaces Haymitch with my father and Katniss with my mother, Effie with Baggett this would look like our normal dinner. Mother knew that Father loved another woman and Father had the idea that Pepper wasn't his kid. We never voiced the reasons but they were always there. Nickel didn't eat with us, we were too embarrassing for him.

"So you're supposed to give us advise." Katniss says after a minute. Haymitch looks over to her.

"Here some advise. Stay alive." Then he burst out laughing. Ok I know I'm not going to live through these games. But I want Katniss to win, to live. I look over at Katniss my glare hard. She seems surprise I can even have this kind of anger and coldness in me. She really doesn't know me at all.

"That's very funny." I say coolly. Then with out giving Haymitch, or me for that matter, time to think, I lash my arm out it flys out of his hand and shatters on the floor staining the carpet a light crimson.

"Only not to us." I finish with a hard glare. Haymitch seems shocked for a moment then before I can lean back in my chair and brace for it, he punches me in the jaw. I'm flung back into my chair, and on to the floor grumbling. He hit me the same spot Mom and Nickel aim when they hit. I glare as he reaches for the spirit that's on the table but Katniss is quick and throws a knife in-between his fingers and the bottle. She's braced and ready but the hit doesn't come. He just leans back in his chair, squinting at us.

"Well, what's this?" He says skeptically, "Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?"

I stand slowly looking for ice, grabbing a handful from under the fruit tray. I start raising it to my jaw when Haymitch shakes his head.

"No." He says. "Let the bruise show. The audience will think you've mixed it up with another tribute before you've even made it to the arena."

"That's against the rules." I say stunned that our mentor was offering something illegal.

"Only if they catch you. That bruise will say you fought, you weren't caught, even better." He smirks slightly and looks to Katniss. "Can you hit anything with that knife besides a table?"

She grabs a knife from the table and throws it hard. It sticks in between 2 panels, and I have to wonder if that was just luck. By her gaze it looks like it was.

"Stand over here. Both of you," Haymitch nods over to the middle of the room. We do and he circles us like predator circling prey. He prods us like mules, making me angry.

"Well, you're not entirely hopeless. Seem fit. And once you're stylists get hold of you, you'll be attractive enough." Neither of us argue even though I want to tell him Katniss isn't attractive, that's she's beautiful. But I have a feeling it would freak her out so I keep my mouth shut.

"All right, I'll make a deal with you. You don't interfere with my drinking, and I'll stay sober enough to help you," Haymitch say but then adds, "but you have to do exactly what I say." Its really not much, but its better than him vomiting every were.

"Fine." I say, satisfied with it.

"So help us," Katniss starts, "When we get to the arena, what's the best strategy at the Cornucopia for someone-"

"One thing at a time." He says cutting her off. "In a few minutes, we'll be pulling into the station. You'll be put in the hands of your stylists. You're not going to like what they do to you. But no matter what it is, don't resist," Haymitch tells us looking like he's referring to Katniss.

"But-" She trys.

"No buts. Don't resist," Haymitch cuts her off once more. He grabs the bottle of spirit and leaves the car. As the door closes it becomes dark. There are few lights on in the car, so I guess we're going through a tunnel. The tunnel has been carved through a place once called the Rocky Mountains. It's a natural wall formed around the capital.

Katniss is silent and in the dim light I think I see fright in her grey eyes. I can understand. I remember years ago she got the valor meddle, because her father had been killed in the mines. Destroyed under tons of rocks. The train slows, and light enter the car.

We run to the widows looking at the city we've only seen on TV. It looks even better than what we see on TV. Tall skyscrapers, shiny cars, and of course the strange people with colored skin and strange hair. They all call to each other as they see our train making Katniss step away from the window. But I stay, smiling and waving to the strange crowd. They all make me sick but if I want Katniss safe, I need to get sponsors. I turn towards her when we pull to the station. She's gawking at me probably wondering how I can stand them. But I shrug, telling her,

"Who knows? One of them might be rich." Realization come across her face, which confuses me. What has she guessed about me? That I love her? No not that waving to a crowd of morons doesn't say 'I love you.' That I'm trying to keep myself alive? Did she think I would just die like that? From the look on her face, it seemed so.


	5. Set her Ablaze

**Portia: Yeah I'm in this chapter! **

**Me: YEAHHHHH PORTIA! **

**Cinna: Wha about me? D:**

**Me: I love you too Cinna! *runs over and hugs him***

**Cinna: *Laughing and choking at the same time* She doesnt own the hunger games! No copyright intended!**

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><p><strong>5<strong>

I wince again as Tentic, a short man with purple hair, puts another chemical on my raw face. When I had asked him what it was for, he told me it was so I couldn't grow facial hair. He amazingly doesn't have the strange accent the capitol which makes me like him. One of the girls, I think its Gem, grabs my hand, looking it over with a pout.

Apparently my stylist doesn't want them to remove the scars that cover my hands, which I'm happy about. I still want to be me, not some clean freak out in the arena. The other girl, Kem a tall orange haired and light purple, who was Gem's twin. I couldn't tell them apart in anyway.

Kem started pulling at my hair trimming and forming it randomly. Finally they all step away from me, smiling at their work. I had been in the capitol 2 hours as they scrubbed, ripped, and clipped me to perfection. They turned and left, waving and smiling at me as they go. I grab the robe they left me slipping it on sense I don't like standing there naked. But once my stylist, Portia, comes in I take it of as she looks me over. And as she looks over me I love over her. She's tall and curvy and probably no older than 28. Her hair is a gentle aqua color, that's pulled up in a loss bun and her lips a simple pink. She has on a pair of black glasses and her purple eyes shine under them. She nods approvingly and throws the rob back at me walking into the room next door.

I slip it on and follow slowly. The room has a view of the capitol, something only a bird would see. I glance down and am instantly disgusted. Maybe it's because it doesn't have the natural dark layer of coal dust I'm used to. Or maybe it's the strange people that fill it. Or it could be what they watch every year that disgusts me. Whatever it is, I turn back to Portia instantly. She crosses her legs, resting her elbow onto her knee and resting her head in her hands. She looks me over again but with sad and gentle eyes.

"May I ask you a question?" She says slowly. I nod and she leans forward slightly.

"What do we look like to you? How do you see us?" It's a surprising thing to ask someone who has come from a district so far away and so less wealthy. But maybe that's why she asked.

"You look like people with too much time on your hands who have nothing better to do than just sit at home and watch people die, or change you appearance every other day. Like people that have never been hurt, or suffered, or missed a meal in their life. To me, you are despicable people." I say quietly leaning toward her so she can hear. It's habit to be quiet when degrading the Capital. Probably a good one to hang onto while actually in the capital.

"I'm sorry you see us that way. I can't say I disagree though. Some of the people are outrageous. And some things here are very hard to forget. Like I hope you and your partner will be. Her names Katniss right?" She changes the topic easily like we never were speaking of the Capital at all. She presses a small button and food pops up into the center of the table that's between us.

"Yeah, Katniss. But what do you mean, how will you make district 12 unforgettable?" I ask.

"Tell me, what do you remember seeing for district 12?"

"Um, skimpy little outfit with a headlamp, people covered in black dust, and only black dust. That's about it, I think." I tell her truthfully. That's normally it, a skimpy outfit and a headlamp to make it look district 12 like. I look at her skeptically, wonder were this is going.

"Peeta, you work in a bakery right?" I nod. "Well what do you do with coal in a bakery?"

"It's in the ovens, we burn it of course." I tell her surprised. What did she think we did, eat it?

"Exactly!" She says brightly with a smile. "And when you burn it, it becomes fire! Coal is fire! So we will be lighting you and Katniss on fire! Think of the splash well make! Peeta and Katniss the tributes who burned their way into the Capital's hearts!" She says eagerly, but I cant be happy about it. What? She's going to set us on… Fire?"

"Ok I might be a baker and I work with fire daily, but I still burn!" I say shoving my hands in her face. She takes them and sets them back in my lap. I stare at her and she just laughs.

"I and Katniss's stylist, Cinna, have created a synthetic fire that can't burn you. You'll be perfectly safe!" Even though she's one of the Capitals puppets I believe her. She eats a little of the food but I leave it, not hungry. She wipes her face and then stands going back into the room I was stuck in for 2 hours. She helps me into a black unitard, that Portia assures me is fire proof, everything from my neck to my wrists and ankles. I slip on black work boots, and a cape colored in reds, orange, and yellows. There's a headpiece that matches, and as more and more is put on the more worried I'm getting. My prep team tells me everything will be amazing and I pretend to believe them, but really I think by the end of the day I'll be a human torch.

Once every thing's on we go out and wait for Katniss and her prep team. When she walks out, relief sweeps over her face and I hold back the smile that threatens to rise on my face. Our prep teams speak to each other eagerly. Were whisked down the elevator, and then down into the area filled with chariots. We walk to the back where our black horses stand waiting. Portia and Cinna push us into the Chariot and fix our position, draping our capes over the back. I can see other districts staring, wondering what the hell were doing.

"What do you think? About the fire?" Katniss whispers quickly.

"I'll rip off your cape if you'll rip of mine," I say through clenched teeth.

"Deal," She answers easily then adding after a second. "I know we promised Haymitch we'd do exactly what they said, but I don't think he considered this angle." As she says this I realize Haymitch is nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Haymitch, anyway? Isn't he supposed to protect us from this sort of thing?" I ask her.

"With all the alcohol in him, it's probably not advisable to have him around an open flame." She says. And then we both burst out laughing. It must be the nerves and the fear of being a human torch. The opening music begins and we wait as the doors are opened 11 chariots ahead of us. We'll be lead into the capital to the training center which is where we'll stay till they go and kill us. District one rides out, there horses a gleaming white. Nothing in 12 is ever, in a million years, that white. They shine a beautiful silver as they run out into the Capital streets. The people scream, District 1 is always a fan favorite. It all goes quickly from then on and it seems that were right after 1. District 11 just leaves when Cinna appears with a torch. He says something that I don't hear and then were set ablaze. I wait for the burning and the pain I brace myself. But none comes and I hear Cinna mutter, "It works," and I realize that they didn't know completely if it would torch us. He says some stuff to Katniss and them walks off. He yells at us and I think he's telling us to hold hands. As if to tell me I'm right her puts his hands up and intertwines his fingers.

"What's he saying?" She asks me. I look at her for the first time and I see all her beauty dazzled by firelight.

"I think he said for us to hold hands." I tell her and then grip her right hand and I look to Cinna. He gives us the thumps up and him and Portia are the last thing I see before were in the Capital. The crowd screams, but not in joy at first. They believe were literally on fire, making them all gasp. But once they see were not hurt by it, they scream and cheer out "District 12!" Everyone looks our way, even the ones father up ahead that are still looking at District 6.

Katniss is a statue at first, but we both look up at the big screen. We have a trail of fire following use, and the darkening sky illuminates our faces. Especial Katniss, as she smiles and waves to the crowd. She's leaning out of the chariot slightly and it feels like I'll loss all circulation in my hand but I don't care. And then, they aren't cheering out 'District 12' anymore. Their cheering out Katniss and Peeta, actually checking our names in the pamphlets. Katniss is blowing kisses into the crowd getting roses thrown at her. She looks at our linked fingers and tries to take her hands out of mine.

"No, don't let go of me," I tell her quickly, not wanting her to let me go. I'm happy it's so hard to see in the dim light, because my eyes would be flickering every which way. "Please. I might fall out of this thing."

"Okay." She answers stiffly, slightly confused. She looks at other Districts and sees them glaring at us. I notice how each of them have a good inch or two of space in between them. The chariots fill the loop and everyone watches. We line up one right after another in front of Snow's mansion. The music ends finally and the President welcomes us from the balcony. I glance at the screen again and again. It seems they never take the camera's off us. I smirk slightly at the fact. The president finishes his speech that I didn't really hear him start and we start around the circle once more.

The chariots enter one by one into the training center. Katniss seems to just notice how the other tributes stare at us, shoot us looks that could kill a small animal. Cinna and Portia swarm us, helping me down and then I help Katniss down. Portia sprays us with something in a canister. Katniss looks at our hands ounce more and opens her fingers and we both massage our hands.

"Thanks for keeping hold of me. I was getting a little shaky there." I say to her with a smile.

"It didn't show, I'm sure no one noticed." She tells me.

"I'm sure they didn't notice anything but you. You should wear flames more often." I say it in a joking way, but I mean it. "They suit you." I flash a small shy smile, hoping she doesn't see through what I've said. She smiles back but it seems slightly forced, and I watch her eyes contemplate something. Then the smile becomes as smirk. She stands on her tip toes leaning toward me. My eyes widen as warmth spreads on my cheek. She kisses me right on my bruise, leaving me speechless. Then she scurries off to Cinna, smiling the whole time.

**(So yeah! Ok so guys please review! It doesnt have to be long just a small thing so i can see who's reading and what people like/dislike about it. I would love for you to tell me what i could do better! thanks guys. ~Kyo Mellark)**


	6. Rooftop High

I still own nothing!

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><p>6<p>

The training center. Its half prison, half haven. Prison because we're not allowed to leave the building until the games start. Haven because in it we train and learn ways to live longer out in that hell hole. We have to ride up elevators to get to out floor. There are 13 floors, 1 for each district and then the training area. We stay up for a while up on our floor, as Effie complains about Haymitch not telling about our skills. I'm lead to my room which is on the other side of the hall and a few doors away from hers.

I look around in there and it looks like a luxury version of the train. I didn't even think that would be possible. There were drawers that didn't have much close in them. Most likely because Portia would be in control of my clothes for the rest of my time here. I take another shower, washing the sweat and nerves down the drain.

I press some buttons that make the water smell like burning wood. I was surprised when I saw it, but I instantly hit it. In the bakery we use coal for some breads and wood for others. And the scent of burning wood let me pretends that I was home. I stepped out about to grab a towel but heaters flash on instantly drying my body. I find a towel and wrap it around my waist and then go to the closet.

In the closet it a machine asks questions and once there finished it has every kind of clothes I like. Mainly just jeans and T-shirts, but also other things I've never seen. I slip on a pair of sweats and a black shirt. I look around and see menu and order a loaf of bread from each district.

They came in seconds, and I just sit on the bed and taste each one. My favorites were district 7 apple spice bread, district 9's sweet wheat bread, and district 10's hay bread. District 12 has nothing on these breads, for the bread were good for is poppy seed bread that's horrid in comparison to these.

There's a knock on the door and I go opening it. Cinna's there smiling, asking about what I though of the outfits. I tell him they were wonderful and he starts thinking. He grabs my hand and leads me to a door down the hall. He opens it with a jerk, and he hold the door open for me. We walk up onto the roof and I see the moon bright over the sky. Cinna and I just stand there watching the city below. I glance at him asking one thing.

"Why?"

He could take this anyway. Why does this interest you? Why are we here? Why'd you bring me up here?

"Up here you can think without the Capital breathing down your neck. It's great if you need to talk." He glances up at me. "You could talk to Katniss up here and be safe."

"How… What if we decided to jump?" I ask but he just turns to go to the other side of the roof looking at a garden. When he picks a flower and smiles.

"Don't try jumping. There's a force field that will throw you back onto the roof." And then he's gone. He runs back down the stairs, and I go look at the garden. It's lovely and every flower there could never be grown in 12. It looks like a tropical foreest with all the wind chimes hanging in the trees. The wind is loud though. Then I go back to the side of the roof, wondering if it really had a force field. I look down and stick my hand out, and that just gets me a burn to my hand. I run back down and see Enrick in the hall. I grab him and drag him into my room. I show him my hand and he works slowly. I tell him what happened and he gives a thin laugh that sounds horrid. But them he just smiles and walks out.

I go and sit on the bed and wait.

Portia comes knocking on my door. I open it and she all but faints when she sees what I'm wearing. I roll my eyes as she clicks buttons on the closet touch pad and hands me a pair of loss pants and a button up shirt. I slip them on and follow her to the balcony.

She stands next to Cinna, and I stand next to her. I look over the edge as Portia and Cinna talk about random things. There is an upside to being district 12, and that's its floor is the highest in the building meaning we have the best view. Effie comes in Katniss trailing after her and we all go to the table. Katniss sits across from Cinna and I Sit across from Portia. Effie sits next to them and they leave the head seats open for Haymitch, who is actually joining us.

Out of the back room Enrick comes out holding a tray of wine filled glasses. I smile at his as he hands it to me and he smiles back mouthing thanks before turning to Katniss who takes a glass of the dry liquid. I see Portia giving me a strange look but she quickly drops it and sips at her wine. Katniss sips hers and it takes all I can not to burst out laughing at her expression. They bring out the dishes and Haymitch comes in sitting at the head of the table. He's clean, sober, and barely drinks the wine. We all ate in silence for a while, but them the adults all start chattering. Me and Katniss just eat, excepting complements, it was all amazing. Mushroom soup, a bitter salad with pea sized tomatoes, roast beef as thin as paper, pasta in a green sauce, and cheese that covers your taste buds.

More people who, by my guess, are like Enrick walk around making sure everyone is always happy. I sip the wine but I don't really like it. After everyone's just chatting about our interview costumes, a beautiful red headed girl comes and sets a cake on the table. Then lights on fire with a small smile that makes me wonder. I stare at her throat and watch her swallow. She's like Enrick, no tongue, no way to say anything. I look back at the cake and as the fire grows smaller Katniss says.

"What makes it burn? Is it alcohol?" She looks at the girl, to answer her question. I almost say something but I just stay quiet as she continues. "That's the last thing I wa-" She pauses, "Oh! I know you!" Katniss blurts. Everyone looks at her especially the girl, her red hair falling over her face. Her eyes have fright in them and I can't place it. I look at the others and there staring at her like hawks.

"Don't be ridiculous, Katniss. How could you possibly know an Avox?" Effie snaps, disgusted. "The very thought."

"What's an Avox?" She asks dumbfounded. I don't have to ask, so I look over to Enrick who looks down ashamed.

"Someone who committed a crime. They cut her tongue out so she can't speak." Haymitch says but I don't look at him. I stare at Enrick as he slinks into the kitchen then coming back a few minutes later, cleaning the table. "She's probably a traitor of some sort. Not likely you'd know her."

"Even if you did, you're not to speak to one of them unless it's to give an order." Effie says "Of course, you don't really know her." But by the look in Katniss's eyes, she does. I need to help her, protect her, from whatever could come.

"No, I guess not, I just-" She stammers and I have my plan. I snap my fingers together and everyone looks at me questioningly.

"Delly Cartwright. That's who it is. I kept thinking she looked familiar as well. Then I realized she's a dead ringer for Delly." This red headed, thin as a twig, caramel eyed, girl looks nothing like Delly Cartwright. Delly, a pale, chubby, blonde haired, blue eyed, looks nothing like this girl. Delly is one of my closer friends and is the nicest person in district 12. She's always smiling and is kind to everyone. And I could ask her anything and she would never judge. Katniss smiles, happy to have something to go off of.

"Of course, that's who I was thinking off! It must be the hair." She says, luckily no one knows Delly, so no one can say other wise.

"Something about the eyes, too." I answer and watch the girl run back into the kitchen.

"Oh, well. If that's all it is. And yes, the cake has spirits, but all the alcohol has burned off. I ordered it specially in honor of your fiery debut." Cinna says with a smile as Enrick cuts the cake and slips it on to plates handing it out. We all walk into the other room eating as we go, to watch the opening ceremonies broadcast. Then other districts can't compare to Katniss in anyway. We all 'ahh' when it comes to district 12.

"Whose idea was the hand holding." Haymitch asks looking at me with a small smirk only I see.

"Cinna's." Portia answers.

"Just the perfect touch of rebellion. Very nice." Haymitch replies, a smile crossing his face.

Of course that was a rebellious move. The other districts have a good 3 inch space in between them. Were we sit close, holding hands and smiling. The others smile but not with each other, its more against. _Sponsor me, not them! I'll win, not them!_ Its disgusting.

"Tomorrow morning is the first training session. Meet me for breakfast and I'll tell you exactly how I want you to play it." He tells us. "Now go get some sleep while the grown-ups talk." Katniss and I stand slowly and walk out. I walk next to her, till we get to her door. Then I lean against her door frame. I'm not blocking it, she can still get in, but I know she'll stop.

"So, Delly Cartwright. Imagine finding her lookalike here." This is my way of asking her to tell me what she knows. She's contemplating to tell me, and what Haymitch told me rings in my head. '_But I guess now she's in debt to you, and sense she's from the Seam she won't take that lightly.' _I covered for her; she's in debt to me. I hate putting that on her, I don't want her to feel she owes me. But I don't want the Capital to overhear. I smile brightly once more. I shouldn't be able to smile so simply at her. But I can't not love her, the way her face scrunches with confusion.

"Have you been on the roof yet?" I ask her. She shakes her head. "Cinna showed me. You can practically see the whole city. The winds a bit loud though." I tell her and recognition strings across her face.

"Can we just go up?" She asks.

"Sure come on." I lead her to the stairs and up to the roof. She gasps when she see's the view. I lean next to her, and I just stare out the corner of my eye at her.

"I asked Cinna why they let us up here. Weren't they worried that some of the tributes might decide to jump right over the side?" I say to fill the silence.

"What'd he say?" she asks.

"You can't." I tell her putting my hand back out into the empty looking space. I reach only my finger tips a little farther out and rip may hand back from the shock that came with it. "Some kind of electric field throws you back on the roof."

"Always worried about our safety." I suppress a chuckle. "Do you think they're watching us now?"

"Maybe," I tell her honestly. "Come see the garden." I say walking toward the same place Cinna stood earlier. The wind is as loud as it had been and she pretends to examine a flower.

"We were hunting in the woods one day. Hidden, waiting for game." She whispers.

"You and your father?" I whisper back. I always knew that her father hunted in the woods, but I didn't know she hunted as well until after he had died. But whenever she came to trade with us, her kills were always the best. Straight threw the eye.

"No, me and my friend Gale. Suddenly all the birds stopped singing at once. Except one. As if it were giving a warning call. And then we saw her. I'm sure it was the same girl. A boy was with her. Their clothes were tattered. They had dark circles under their eyes from no sleep. They were running as if their lives depended on it." She says and is then quiet. Her eyes flicker around, probably remembering it all.

"The hovercraft appeared out of nowhere." She starts once more. "I mean, one moment the sky was empty and the next it was there. It didn't make a sound, but they saw it. A net dropped down on the girl and carried her up, fast, so fast like the elevator. They shot some sort of spear through the boy. It was attached to a cable and they hauled him up as well. But I'm certain he was dead. We heard the girl scream once. The boy's name, I think. Then it was gone, the hovercraft. Vanished into thin air. And the birds began to sing again, as if nothing had happened."

"Did they see you?" I ask

"I don't know. We were under a shelf of rock." And then she starts to shake, and I realize how cold it is out here.

"Your shivering." I tell her. I slip off my jacket and wrap it around her shoulders. She starts to refuse and then, something flashes across her face and she lets me. I make sure its snuggly around her shoulders.

"They were from here?" I ask her as I hook the top button so it stays on. She just nods.

"Where do you suppose they were going." I ask again.

"I don't know that." She says. I cross my arms over my chest to warm myself a little. "Or why they'd leave here."

"I'd leave here." I blurt but them look around nervous. It was heard above the chimes. I fake a laugh. "I'd go home right now if they let me. But you have to admit the food's prime." I say trying to make it sound like something a scared tribute.

"It's getting chilly. We better go in." It's an understatement, its freezing. But even with my jacket on Katniss still shakes. I push the door open and push her in before me. She sighs as warmth floods over her.

"Your friend Gale. He's the one who took your sister away at the reaping?" I ask in the best tone I can. But I really don't care about him. He is what has always stood in the way. If I ever say her just walking down the street, I would try to go talk to here. But Gale would walk up and put his hands on her. It made me sick, so I would run off.

"Yes. Do you know him?" She asks and I shake my head.

"Not really. I hear the girls talk about him a lot. I thought he was your cousin or something. You favor each other." It was true, I had heard he was her cousin, but my father had said other wise. I wasn't sure, and I hoped she would say 'yeah he's my cousin.'

"No, we're not related." She says and I just nod, wipping my face blank. If she was paying attention she would see anger bubbling under my eyes. My face flushes red, but it's so dark she doesn't see it.

"Did he come to say good-bye to you?" Of course he did, why ask?

"Yes, so did your father, He brought me cookies." She watching me carefully, so I raise my eye brows and let the anger fall away. I really didn't know my father had visited her, but I didn't want Katniss to see my anger toward Gale.

"Really? Well he likes you and your sister. I think he wishes he had daughter instead of a houseful of boys." Her name rarely came up during dinner conversation. Only when Mother and Nickel were out. But when it did, Father, Baggett, and I always had a great time. My father swore one day he would steal her to hunt for the bakery. Baggett said he wanted a little sister to tease and harass. And I would just laugh and smile with the conversation around me. They both knew I loved her because i had let it slip that 'I don't want him to lay his hands on her.' Katniss seemed to wonder about it to and I'm contemplating tell her. _No, not when she'll have to kill you._

"He knew your mother when they were kids." I tell her, trying to make that suspicion look go away.

"Oh, yes. She grew up in town." Her mother is my father's first love. I want to tell her that, but I can't and I seem to strange. Were in front of her door and she slips off my jacket. I almost tell her to keep it, but she already has it extended out to me. I take it and smile slightly.

"See you in the morning then." She tells me.

"See you." _Don't make me walk away._ But she turns to open her door and I walk down the hall to my room. I open my door and at first I thought I saw Enrick. But is was a small black haired girl. I walk in and lightly grab her shoulder. She whips around eyes wide with fright. I smile slightly

"Sorry, sorry. Its ok I won't hurt you. But can you give a message to another Avox for me? His names Enrick, or at least I think so. Can you just tell him that I don't care he's an Avox? That I don't care anyone here's an Avox." I said, trying to make her less scared. She's still for a minute, and then a thin smile crosses her face. She nods and runs out the room, smiling still as she goes. I slip off my clothes and but the sweats back on. I plop right down on to the bed, not even getting under the blankets. I lean back, hands behind my head, wondering. If she wins will she run home to Gale?

_As long as she smiles again after those games_, I think, _This will all be worth it. _

_**(So yep that's that! I love to hear what you guys have to say! Thanks for the support and everything. Oh and do you think I should do Catching Fire and Mocking Jay as well? I think I might even if you don't want me to but I just want feedback. Thanks guys and Happy Thanksgiving!~ Primrose F. Mellark)**_


	7. She wont cry

**Me: Awwwwww Peeta i'm so sorry i have to make you suffer!**

**Peeta: She doesnt own the hunger games... Creeper...**

**Me: Love you too Peeta! =D**

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><p>7<p>

I woke when someone let out a shriek. It was farther down the hall and I guessed it was Katniss. Some days, when she was younger, she would come into school with dark circles under her eyes and her voice would sound raw. I asked Delly why and she told me she would scream for her father to come home. I sighed and wiped my hand across my face, and slowly started functioning. I got up and took another shower, playing with the controls. Once I got out I saw a burgundy colored, long sleeved shirt. Also there's a pair of tight black pants, and leather shoes. It looked like nothing I would ever where, but Portia must have something planned. I sit and wait or someone to get me, not sure what time it is. I order hot chocolate and roles up to my room. I snack on it until Haymitch comes knocking on the door. I walk out and he looks me over.

"So, how have you been holding up?" He asks me and I just shrug.

"You might want to cut the goo-goo eyes. She's not looking, but we are." I blush but say.

"Whatever, I don't even know what you're talking about." I lie coolly, but unlike Katniss, he sees right through me.

"Sure boy, but just remember. She's not looking." And then he push open the door and were in the dinning room. Katniss is dunking roles in hot chocolate and I smile a bit wider than I should have.

"Good morning." I tell her and go to fill my plate. I'm not really that hungry, but I can't let any food go to waste. I plop down in the chair next to her and snack on the food. I see she's wearing and identical outfit. She looks annoyed about the fact and I can't say it's great for me either. Katniss spins a role in her fingers, as we wait for Haymitch to finish.

"So, lets get down to business. Training. First off, if you like, I'll coach you separately. Decide now." He says.

"Why would you coach us separately?" Katniss asks.

"Say if you had a secret skill you might not want to other to know about." Haymitch answers. I exchange a look with Katniss.

"I don't have any secret skills. And I already know what yours is right? I mean, I've eaten enough of your squirrels." Shock crosses her face, but its true. Father taught me how to cook squirrel, so now when ever we get it we have stew. Did she think we never ate it? Or I didn't at least? We can afford butchers meat, but it's very expensive and we didn't get the money we have by spending it on meat.

"You can coach us together." She tells him, and I nod approvingly.

"All right, so give me some idea of what you can do." Haymitch asks looking to me.

"I can't do anything, unless you count baking bread." I tell him honestly.

"Sorry, I don't." He turns to her. "Katniss. I already know you're handy with a knife." Haymitch says.

"Not really. I can hunt, with a bow and arrow." Katniss tells him with a shrug.

"And you're good?" He pushes, and she has to pause. Why must she think? She gets good business with her hunting, and Gale must have taught her something.

"I'm alright." Another shrug. I sigh.

"She's excellent." I jump in. "My father buys her squirrels. He always comments on how the arrow never pierces the body. She hits every one in the eye. It's the same with the rabbits she sells the butcher. She can even bring down a deer." I tell Haymitch and she just stares at me.

"What are you doing?" She asks surprised.

"What are _you_ doing? If he's going to help you, he has to know what your capable of. Don't underrate yourself." I tell her, strict.

"What about you?" She shoots. "I've seen you in the market. You can lift hundred pound bags of flour, tell him that! That's not nothing!" She fumes.

"Yes, and I'm sure the arena will be full of bags of flour for me to It's not like being able to use a weapon. You know it isn't." I snap back. Why can't she just drop it? I'm going to die anyway and she's going to win. She turns back to Haymitch.

"He can wrestle, he came in second in our school competition last year only after his brother." Yes, Baggett beat me in a wrestling contest. But I let him, wanting Mother to praise him.

"What use is that? How many times have you seen someone wrestle to death?" I say disgusted by the thought.

"There's always hand to hand combat! All you need is to come up with a knife, and you'll at least stand a chance! If I get jumped, I'm dead!" She yells, rising in anger. I want to yell back not to think like that but what Haymitch says rings in my ears. _She's not looking._

"But you won't! You'll be living up in some tree eatinf raw squirrels and picking of people with arrows. You know what my mother said to me when she came to say good-bye, as if to cheer me up, she said maybe District 12 will finally have a winner. Then I realized you, she didn't mean me, she meant you!" I burst out feeling the tears wanting to prick up. I refuse to let them fall though.

"Oh she meant you." She dismisses.

"She said, 'She's a survivor, that one.' _She _is." I tell her with a glare.

She has no comeback and can't think of what to say. I slump back in my chair tired of fighting with her. Its tiring, and I hate having her look so small. I suddenly feel cold and a sting on my cheek.

"But only cause someone helped me." She sounds 11 years old. My eyes flicker to the role in her hand and I can see she remember that day as well as I do.

"People will help you in the arena. They'll be tripping over each other to sponsor you." I tell her with a shrug.

"No more than you." She tells me. I roll my eyes at Haymitch.

"She has no idea. The effect she can have." I tell him and he nods slightly. He face burns bright red, and I run my nail against the grain. She starts fuming and I glower at the table.

"Well, then. Well, well, well. Katniss, there no guarantee there'll be bows and arrows in the arena, but during your private session with the Gamemakers, show them what you can do. Until then, stay clear of archery. Are you good with trapping?" He asks her, trying to defuse the tension. I hat it, the way she wont look at me. Hate, hate, hate it.

"I know a few basic snares." She mutters.

"That may be significant in terms of food. And Peeta, she's right, never underestimate strength in the arena. Very often, physical power tilts the advantage to a player. In the Training center, they will have weights, but don't reveal how much you can lift in front of other tributes. The plan's the same for both of you. You go to group training. Spend the time trying to learn something you don't know. Throw a spear. Swing a mace. Learn to tie a decent knot. Save showing what you're best at until you private sessions. Are we clear?"

We both nod.

"One last thing. In public, I want you by each other's side every minute." Haymitch puts in. Katniss and I both start to refuse, but for totally different reasons, most likely.

"Every minute! It's not open for discussion! You agreed to do as I said! You will be together, you will appear amiable to each other. Now get out. Meet Effie fat the elevator at ten for training." She bites her lip and slinks out behind me. I get to my room and close the door, but I still hear the slam of her door. I smack my hands off my head, pull at my hair. I punch the wall and leave a dent. A knock come to the door and Portia come is.

"I could hear you when I was walking to the elevator. What's the matter, Hun?" I slump onto the bed, my head in my hands.

"Does she really not see the affect she has? Is it that hard for her to see?" I ask Portia. She laughs slightly putting he hand on my back.

"Oh, your having girl problems, Hun. So you like Katniss? Is it a new thing?" She asks and she sounds like how I always wanted my mother to sound.

"I love her, and it was new when I was 7 years old." Portia rubs my back gently, and I want to shake her off. I don't cry often, and I the last few days I think I've cried more than I ever have.

"Your not winning the games are you?" Portia asks me quietly. I shake my head. She hugs me tightly and pulls my head out of my hands.

"Peeta, you need to help her win. Don't give up. She'll win but she needs help, like you need her." I stare at her gentle eyes and ask with out thinking.

"Do you have kids?" And she laughs pulling a photo out of her back pocket.

"The one with orange hair is Curzon and the girl is Alba." The little boy has orange hair and redish eyes. Some how I don't believe its fake. The girl had platum blond hair and is a skyscraper in comparison to the boy.

"I could tell, you act like a mother. How old?" I ask her. She smiles.

"The Curzon is 7 and Alba is 15. You'd like her, she's very much like you." Nod with that she stands pulling me up with her. Out of her pocket she pulls some make-up and puts it under my eyes.

"Don't cry over her Peeta, for she won't cry for you." And she smiles and leaves. I look at the clock and walk to the elevator. Katniss comes a few minutes later and we head down. She doesn't look at me, or even seem like she saw me. I want to punch a wall but I can't look like it bugs me. Portia's words ring in my ears. _Don't cry over her Peeta, for she won't cry for you._ I sigh and we step out the elevator. Someone pins a paper _12_ on my back I look at the other tributes.

None of them wear matching clothes. Some of them don't even stand next to the partners. Oh Portia how you make us stick out. We join the circle as the stations are read to us. I really look at the other tribute and my heart sinks. Katniss, to win, will have to go against the Career's and there huge. I look at her and see really how small she is. At least a head or two shorter than me and probably a hundred pounds less. But she also has had real experience in the woods and hunting.

Maybe I can kill them or injure them then if its me against her or someone I know she can beat against, I'll kill myself. They release us and Katniss stands there thinking about something. I nudge her and she leaps a foot in the air. She seems surprised I haven't left her.

"Where would you like to start?" I ask her with as black of an expression I can. She looks around then nods her head towards the station.

"Suppose we tie some knots." She says, but looks at me to be sure. I nod and say.

"Right you are." The stations empty and the man there smiles brightly. I bet he never gets anyone over here. Katniss gets a rope and starts pulling a simple knot. I watch her and do exactly as she does. The guy sees that she knows a little of what she's doing and shows us a simple trap that will hang a person in the air by there leg. I think of it and laugh at the thought. We stay until Katniss has mastered it and I can do a good enough version.

Then we go to a camouflage station. I smile as I look over all the stuff. It looks like different kinds of frosting as I swirl it on my skin. Mixing clay, mud, and juices together to look like the forest floor. Weaving vines, leaves, and flowers together looking like a bush. The trainer squeals about it and shows me different kinds of mixtures. Katniss looks slightly surprised about it.

"I do the cakes." I admit to her. She looks at me, away from the district 2 guy at the spear station.

"The cakes? What cakes?" I chuckle slightly at her worried expression.

"At home. The iced ones, for the bakery." I tell her. Most people think my mother does them, and she use to. But when I came I loved watching her and I begged to make Baggett's cake. She said yes and I was one of the best cakes Mother had seen. And I was thrown in charge of frosting every cake.

She stares at me arm the dark and light contrast like sun falling through the leaves. She seems annoyed at the pattern that I picked up from slipping into the woods once. I wanted to see why it was so scary, but I just found it beautiful. Well, until I saw a wild dog, and ran back into the safety of 12.

"It's lovely. If only you could frost someone to death." She says bitterly.

"Don't be so superior. You can never tell what you'll find in the arena. Say it's actually a gigantic cake-" I start but she cuts me of still annoyed.

"Say we move on." And she turns going to a new station. I wash my arms off and follow slowly after, wondering what I did wrong.

So that was the next three days. We went from station to station learning new skills or fixing old ones. Fire starting, fort building, knife and spear throwing. At hand-to-hand combat I beat everyone I was against. In edible plants test Katniss didn't miss a beat. We stay away from archery and weightlifting, saving those for the private sessions. Gamemakers came early on the first day. Sitting or walking around watching the tributes. They seemed very fixated on us, Katniss especially. Breakfast and dinner are on our normal floors but at lunch they throw us all together. Katniss and I always eat alone, and it's even hard then. She's still mad at me for yelling at her and I want to tell her she was right. But I just can't do it.

One day I point out how in the bread baskets they have bread from each district.

"And there you have it." I tell her putting the bread back into the basket.

"You certainly know a lot." She tells me.

"Only about bread. Okay now laugh as if I've said something funny." And we both fake out a laugh pretending not to see people staring. Everyone stays away from us so they can't hear us as we fake our friendship.

"All right, I'll keep smiling pleasantly and you talk." I say with a smile, but it getting tiring. Katniss has been cold sense she slammed that door and I can't thaw her out.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I was chase by a bear?" By the way she says it, it sounds true.

"No but it sounds fascinating." I tell her and she starts. Apparently she thought she could win a fight with a black bear. I ask questions, actually interested in the story. I laugh and go with the rest of the story.

The next day while we're at the spear station, I glance back to see the girl from District 11. She stands and her arms slightly off her body, like she'll flutter away. I lean into Katniss whispering in her ear.

"I think we have a shadow." She throws the spear she has and as I take mine she glances back at her. I speak softly as I throw hitting the dummy in the head.

"I think her name's Rue." Her eyes flash back to her. Rue is a small yellow flower. Primrose.

"What can we do about it?" She says harshly, but I know its not her intention. It still annoys me though that she won't let it all go. _Don't cry over her Peeta, for she won't cry for you, _how right you are Portia.

"Nothing to do, just making conversation." I tell her and we switch stations. The girl follows us to every station. Is I watch her I realize I really don't care she follows us and I wish she'd speak to us. Of course she never does. At the end of the day we go to our floor where every day breakfast and dinner, Haymitch and Effie grill us with what to do, what not to do. What's ok, what's not. It can go on for hours and by the time we head up for bed I'm so sick of it.

"Someone ought to get Haymitch a drink." And she lets out the first thing that's sounds like a laugh sense the door was slammed. But she quickly stops it short and looks at me with sad eyes.

"Don't. Don't, let's pretend when no ones around." I'm so tired of it all.

"All right Katniss." And from then on we only talk when people are around.

The third day at lunch they start calling for private sessions. The room empties slowly and soon Katniss won't even look at me. She doesn't have to play the part anymore. Rue gets called in and we just sit and wait. District 12 normally has lower training scores for 2 to 8's normally. They call my name and I stand.

"Remember what Haymitch said about being sure to throw the weights." She says, and it's the first personal thing she's said to me.

"Thanks, I will." I say with a tiny smile. "You… shoot straight." She just nods and I walk into the room.

The Gamemakers are singing some strange song and they all look drunk. I sigh this is normal. I walk over to the weights and look for the heaviest ones. They have a weight of 160 and I pick it up. I stumble slightly, and almost drop the thing on my foot. Luckily i catch it and steady myself but take a deep breath and hike it up near my shoulder. I aim at a dummy and throw as hard as I can. Luckily it hits the dummy's chest enough to make it fall. I get a few approving looks. Then I take another smaller ball and chuck it to the other side of the room, a good 20 yards. They nod write something down and then i look for anyting heavier, I walk over to the dummy that fell to the floor. I sigh and bend over picking it up and hanging it back up. They nod again, probably happy they disn't have to hang it back up. I walk back over picking up the first ball and then the other bringing them back to the weights and I'm sent out.

"She might not cry for me, but I still wish for her to get a good score." I mutter as I run back to my room.

* * *

><p><strong>(Ok i think i made this chapter really... Lovey... I swear all chapters wont be like this, i just wanted people to see how bad he really loves her and how he doesnt get it. Like, how he just doesnt get why she's mad. So yeah Happy Thanksgiving!~Primrose F. R. Mellark)<strong>


	8. Arrow through the heart

8

10 minutes after I go back to my room, I hear the slam of a door. I can't complain, I slammed my door to, annoyed the Gamemakers barely glanced at me. But when I'm changing out of my training close and I hear Haymitch and Effie banging on the door, I begin to worry. What happened? Is she ok? Is she hurt? I couldn't tell, but I would find out. I walk out into the hall and walk quickly to her door. Haymitch and Effie look like they'll break down the door. I walk up and try to help them, but Haymitch just shakes his head. Just then Katniss shrieks for us to leave her alone. Haymitch grumbles and walks off, Effie trailing slowly behind him.

But I won't leave her, not now. I sit right beside her doorway, so if she comes out, so I'll be the first thing she sees. But she doesn't leave the room. I just hear her cry and cry. But when that stops I become worried. I still won't enter her room though. I just can't do it. She'd hate me even more if I did. So I just sit there, waiting for her to move, or to start crying again. To snore or anything that would let me know she was ok. I lean my head back and watch the clock as it ticks away. An hour goes by and then 2 still nothing happened. Effie comes by and pull's me up off the floor. I'm tired, groggy, and I don't want to leave. She pushes me down the hall telling me to go to dinner. I do as she says, only because I can't bring myself to fight.

I go to the table, sit across from Portia and I yawn loudly. I cover my mouth and apologize quietly. Effie comes in and Katniss follows a few minute later. She sits down next to me her eyes red. She doesn't at anyone, but everyone stares at her. I glare at them all until they look away from her. But then some of them stare at me. Portia starts asking about the weather and people just jump on the topic. I just look back at her, when she glances at me, and raise my eyebrows, trying to ask.

She just shakes her head, and then they start serving the main course. Haymitch looks at us.

"Okay, enough small talk, just how bad were you today?" He asks and before anyone can ask Katniss I jump in.

"I don't even know that it mattered. By the time I showed up, no one even bothered to look at me. They were singing some kind of drinking song, I think. So, I just threw around some heavy objects until they told me I could go." I shrug and Katniss relaxes ever so slightly, that I'm the only one to notice.

"And you, sweetheart?" Sweetheart? Oh, why does that piss me right off?

"I shot an arrow at the Gamemakers." She says quietly, but still everyone hears it. We all stop eating.

"You _what_?" Effie almost shrieks.

"I shot an arrow at them. Not exactly at them. In their direction. It's like Peeta said, I was shooting and they were ignoring me and I just…I just lost my head, so I shot an apple out of their stupid roast pig's mouth!" She says with defiance. She still didn't look up from her food though.

"And what did they say?" Cinna asks carefully.

"Nothing. Or I don't know. I walked out after that." She tells us, peaking up slightly.

"Without being dismissed?" Effie sounds like she'll faint if she hears another word.

"I dismissed myself." Katniss says with slight anger. Her shoulders slumped over a little more and I feel so bad.

"Well, that's that." Haymitch says, buttering a role.

"Do you think they'll arrest me?" She asks, sounding small again.

"Doubt it. Be a pain to replace you at this stage." _And I'd kill anyone that put their hands on you._

"What about my family? Will they punish them?" She asks looking for more answers.

"Don't think so. Wouldn't make much sense. See, they'd have to reveal what happened in the Training Center for it to have any worthwhile effect on the population. People would need to know what you did. But they can't since it's secret, so it'd be a waste of effort. More likely they'll make your life he;; in the arena." Haymitch tells her, calming her even more.

"Well, they've already promised to do that to us anyway." I remind Haymitch and he nods.

"Very true." And then he starts chuckling about something. "What were their faces like?"

"Shocked. Terrified. Uh, ridiculous, some of them." She says with the makings of a smile touching her lips. "One man tripped backward into a bowl of punch."

We all start laughing at the thought. Effie just suppresses a smile, when she says.

"Well, it serves them right. It's their job to pay attention to you. And just because you come from District 12 is no excuse to ignore you." Effie's eyes look around, like she's saying something horrible. "I'm sorry but that what I think."

"I'll get a very bad score." Katniss says, her smile fading.

"Scores only matter if they're very good, no one pays much attention to the bad or mediocre ones. For all they know. You could be hiding your talent to get a low score on purpose. People use that strategy." Portia says, reassuring her.

"I hope that's how people interpret the 4 I'll probably get. If that! Really, is anything less impressive than watching a person pick up a heavy ball and throw it a couple yards. One almost landed on my foot!" I say with a grin, that Katniss returns. She starts eating and keeps smiling until we get up to go to the sitting room. Her smile slightly fades but when she sits next to me, she leans forward to watch more closely. The scores start and the Careers get the normal high scores. Everyone else gets around a 5 and Rue gets a 7. I wonder what she could have done.

Then my picture comes up and I hold my breath. An eight appears and I let out a sigh of relief. Then Katniss's picture comes up and the whole rooms holding there breath. And then her score appears.

Eleven!

Effie squeals and everybody cheers for her. I hug her shoulders slightly but she seems to dazed to feel it.

"There must be a mistake. How…how could that happen?" She asks Haymitch.

"Guess they liked your temper. They've got a show to put on. They need some players with some heat." Haymitch tells her with a small smile.

"Katniss, the girl who was on fire. Oh, wait until you see your interview dress!" Cinna says hugging her.

"More flames?" She asks with a smile.

"Of a sort." He says with a mischievous smile.

Katniss congratulates me and I do the same for her. But it's just so strange, sense I think she's still mad at me. She escapes to her room quickly after that and I run my hand threw my hair, leaning back on the couch. The adults talk for a while longer and Portia tells me to go to bed. I nod and head up to my room, my feet feeling like lead. I get to my room, fall onto the bed and fall asleep instantly.

I don't dream, which isn't normal. I normally at least dream of bread, but I must have been tired. I look outside and I see the sunrise. I just lay on the bed, then wondering what to do. Haymitch comes knocking on the door, telling me to 'get my ass out of bed.' I do as he says and dress quickly. I head down for breakfast, were Haymitch is already waiting. Tomorrow is the interview which will be televised for everyone to see. As I get breakfast I think of what I need to say to him.

"Haymitch, I have an idea." I tell him. I have about 10 minutes until Katniss comes down, maybe less.

"Shoot." Haymitch answers.

"So, the interviews are tomorrow, I have a plan for Katniss." His eyebrows rise.

"So, I remember you told me she's not looking or whatever? Well maybe we can make others look." I tell him and he leans back.

"Explain."

"Well, Katniss has a natural effect on people, but not a watching affect. More of a hopeful effect. If she can live, so can we. But not a desirable or loving effect."

"Desire is a hard one to give her. What are you thinking?" Haymitch asks.

"Well, as you know, I love her. But I want to get her to sponsors. I need away to give that to her." Haymitch nods and then laughs.

"You'd need to proclaim your love for her. Everyone in Panem would want her then. But she couldn't know. It would ruin everything." Haymitch says and it's exactly what I was thinking.

"Coach me separately then. If it can give her anything I'll do it." Just as I say that Effie comes in and joins us.

"What are you two rambling about?" Effie asks and I hush her.

"Boy, you're serious? I never thought." Haymitch says. I turn to Effie.

"I'm getting Katniss something she could never have. Desire. I'm gonna get coached separately and on the interviews tomorrow, I'll tell everyone out there I love her." I look up and Katniss starts getting breakfast, whispering even quieter.

"I'm hoping it'll get her sponsors, and if nothing else, just so I can tell her." I tell Effie who nods.

"It'll get you sponsors, of course. Star-crossed lovers. It'll make you irresistible." I shake my head.

"I'm not getting sponsors. If it interferes with her I will take nothing. Got it. Now how to we break it to her?" I ask, but no one has time to answer. She sits down next to me and we all break up. Katniss eats and so do we. But none of us speak. She seems to notice, and she asks.

"So, what's going on? You're coaching us on interviews today, right?" She looks at all of us.

"That's right." Haymitch says looking to me. I shake my head when she's not looking. I'm not telling her.

"You don't have to wait until I'm done. I can listen and eat at the same time." She says eating another spoonful.

"Well, there's been a change of plans. About our current approach." Haymitch says, trying to lengthen it out.

"What's that?" She asks looking up. Haymitch shrugs.

"Peeta has asked to be coached separately."


	9. She's Gonna Hate Me

9

**Ok so I have to make a quick thanks to EliseMellark! You pushed me to do this! Thanks for caring so much! Anyways I still sadly don't own the Hunger games or Peeta…**

Hate. Is that what's flashing across her face? I hope not, I don't want to loss what little, if any, trust I have of hers. Maybe she did hate the fight and wanted to make up. And I ruined it of course. I couldn't do anything right. She eats a little more and then looks up.

"Good, so what's the schedule?" Ouch, that's hurts. Good? She was happy about it? Oh no. She really does hate me. Crap.

"You'll each have four hours with Effie for presentation and four with me for content." He looks at Katniss and nods to Effie. "You start with Effie, Katniss."

Katniss shrugs and stands walking out, and following Effie to a room down the hall. Haymitch stands and we walk to the sitting room. I fall into one of the many couches

"Well that when well." Haymitch says, but I just glare. He chuckles and we get to work. Over the next 2 hours we find what my catch will be. It turns out to be as simple as likable but we had to make it fit with love struck. If you pay attention to the interviews, you see there's something Caesar asks every guy that's over 13 years old. Do they have a girlfriend. And if you say no, he makes jokes on how you can't have one. SO when he says that, I have to say there's a girl I've always liked, but she's never even noticed me. And it will all spiral from there.

After we have that set, Haymitch pretends to interview me and we go through at least 20 different interviews, with over 70 different questions. We finish with 30 minutes sparing and we decide to eat lunch early. The Avox, the one who was cleaning my room that day, smiles when Haymitch isn't looking. I smile back and fill my plate with all the different foods. It doesn't take long to eat it all and soon Haymitch and I are joking around.

"What do you think her reaction will be?" I ask him, with a chuckle.

"Oh, with what I've seen of her, she might kill one of us." He says, suppressing a laugh.

"Or she'll start worrying about what Gale thinks." I laugh, switch my voice to mock hers. "Oh no, Gale will be so worried!"

And right as we say this, Katniss runs in, her dress hiked up to her thighs as she fumes. Me and Haymitch burst out laughing over it. She starts filling her plate with food and I head down the hall to were Effie waits. When she sees me, she throws a tux at me, instructing me to put it on. I sigh and do as she says. When I walk out, she scolds me for not being able to tie a tie. Once she fixes it, we get to work.

She circles me like a hawk, hitting me around so I stand perfectly straight. After that, she forces me to sit and does the same. I feel like I did when I was five. This was how Mother trained me, making me sit perfectly straight all through breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Standing straight when I baked bread, which is the worst thing I have ever done. My back still hurts some days from it.

She starts talking to me and I answer her back confused. She smacks my cheek, lightly but it still hurts. I stare at her, gaping slightly. She tells me I need to smile when I answer, even if it's just to be kind. This was basically what the 4 hours consisted of; smiling, posture, and structure. But like I said, my mother taught me this when I was younger. I couldn't have failed if I tried. When I'm released I walk to my room and change out of the ridiculous tux.

Portia comes by telling me to come to diner. Katniss doesn't come and I stay quiet the whole time. I eat in total silence and I feel so alone as I sit there. Cinna tries speaking to me but I just nod or shrug to answer him. No one speaks to me after that and I excuse myself once I finish eating. I head back to my room, ready to fall asleep.

20 minutes later I heard the smashing of plates. I heard Katniss screaming to 'just leave it!' four different times. I want to go see her, make sure she's ok, but I know it will only annoy her. So I stay in my room, trying to sleep through the loud silence.

I shuttered as Tentic pulled the more chemicals out of the cabinets that cover the walls. He smiles slightly and puts them onto my face. I wince but he just says.

"Be glad you're not Katniss." And I guess he's right. They play with my hair and tug at me skin. They force me to lay flat on my back as they strip me to a new layer of skin. One that has no flaws. Once they finish Portia comes in, throwing a pair of boxers at me. I slip them on and she opens a clothing bag that hangs on the wall. She hands me the neatly folded pants, which I slip on without help.

She takes an orange-ish yellow shirt and helps me button it up. As she does, she flattens it along my shoulders and back. She wraps a tie that looks like it's a flame, tying it perfectly. Taking my arms she spreads them out and slips the jacket on over them. Buttoning it up, she turns me to a mirror.

What I once thought was a normal tux, turns out to have flaming accents all over it. **(A/N; If you would like to know more of what his and Katniss's outfits look like go to deviant art and search ****HG: Interview Dresses**** it's by gigglish.) **The way it fits on my shoulders makes me look buffer than I am.

"So tell me do you like it? Or love it?" Portia asks me with a smile. I hug her tightly and she laughs.

"Love it." I turn back to the mirror and I see that my hair has a subtle look of flames that I can barely notice. I look at Portia and shake my head with a sigh. She just laughs taking my hand lightly in hers. The prep team come in gushing over the tux. They circle me and pull at the tux gently until Portia shoos them off. We head down to the elevator

"Portia what do you think her reaction will be?" I ask. While at dinner Haymitch told Portia the plan when Cinna was up. Portia told him afterward but didn't tell him the full plan.

"Just hope she doesn't look openly disgusted. That would ruin it all." She tells me with a small smile.

"What if she hates me for it after?"

"Pretend it's all fake, that you just did it for sponsors. She'll believe you don't worry. But don't say her name. Let it sink into her as much as the Capitol." Portia say but shuts up quickly. I look up to see Cinna and Katniss walking down the hall. I stifle a gasp, but she's just so beautiful. Portia punches me in the kidney and I compose myself as best I can. Katniss looks like a flickering flame on a candle. We head down to the interviews.

When we get there the other tributes are lining up in order. I'll be last out of everyone so I'll make it end with a bang if it goes right. We line up and Haymitch come up to us and growls

"Remember, you're still a happy pair. So act like it." Katniss seems shocked by the idea but we start walking before she can object. We sit in I huge arch around where the interviews take place. I watch Katniss as she wobbles around and shakes. I want to walk faster and steady her but that would ruin it all.

We all take our seats and wait for the interviews to start. District 1 goes first and they all seem to fly by. I notice very few, the girl from 5, the boys from 7 and 10. And both from 11. Rue looks so small and fragile in her thin dress, she looks like she could fly with the wings that hang on her back. A hush falls to the crowd. I can barely hear her over the pounding in my head. I can't believe no one volunteered for her. If I could I would have. She's just too small.

But then her partner, Thresh, comes and he is her polar opposite. He doesn't speak much and when he does its always yes or no. If I were a sponsor I would sponsor him. He just looks so deadly, it would surprise me if he killed the 2 guy, Cato. Thresh walks off and soon there calling Katniss Everdeen to the stage. She walks straight and tries not to wobble She takes his outstretched hand and shakes it lightly.

"So, Katniss, the Capitol must be quite a change from District 12. What's impressed you the most since you arrived here?" Caesar asks her. She's quiet for a moment, like sees thinking. Her eyes flicker to Cinna and she answers. "The lamb stew." Like she wasn't completely thinking.

People laugh, I suppress a smile so people won't look to me. A few other tribute laugh but its brief and not many even acknowledge her. Caesar chuckles,

"The one with the dried plums?" She nods. "Oh, I eat that by the bucketful." He turns slightly to the audience, hand on his stomach.

"It doesn't show does it?" And the Capitol reassures him with shouts and laughs.

"Now, Katniss, when you came out in the opening ceremonies, my heart actually stopped. What did you think of the costume?" Katniss glances to Cinna who raises an eyebrow to her. Portia crosses her arms and glances to me. If he asks me that question, I better make Portia look good.

"You mean after I got over my fear of being burned alive?" We all laugh, I don't hide it this time. She was very funny. If she wasn't glaring or mad at you.

"Yes. Start then" Caesar says.

"I thought Cinna was brilliant and it was the most gorgeous costume I'd ever seen and I couldn't believe I was wearing it. I can't believe I'm wearing this either! I mean look at it!" She spread the skirt out so we all get a better look. The audience _oohs _and_ ahs_, and then she starts twirling. It was just once at first but Caesar asks her to do it again. So she spins, and twirls over and over again. I could watch her all day. She's laughing and smiling and when she stops Caesar asks her to continue. I wish she would, too.

"I have to, I'm dizzy!" She giggled, and Caesar puts his arm around her. Why did it make my heart burn?

"Don't worry, I've got you. Can't have you following in your mentor's footsteps." We all laugh.

"It's all right, she's safe with me. So, how about that training score. Eleven Give us a hint what happened." She glances to the Gamemakers

"Um…all I can say, is I think it was a first." I chuckle slightly. The Gamemakers agree, nodding and chuckling.

"You're killing us! Details, details!" Caesar sounds like he's in real pain.

"I'm not supposed to talk about it, right?" She asks the Gamemakers, who yell back it's a secret. She thanks them and shrugs to Caesar.

"Sorry. My lips are sealed." She smiles slightly.

"Let's go back then, to the moment they called your sister's name at the reaping's, and you volunteered. Can you tell us about her?" Caesar quiets down, leaning it to catch every word.

"Her name's Prim. She's just twelve. And I love her more than anything." It was so silent I could hear her breathing.

"What did she say to you? After the reaping?" Caesar asked, gentle as he could manage.

"She asked me to try really hard to win." Is it possible to hear all the way back to district 12? Because I swear it's that silent.

"And what did you say." Caesar asks leaning a little closer.

"I swore I would." She almost whispers. It's so strained, it hurts me.

"I bet you did." The buzzer goes off. "Sorry we're out of time. Best of luck, Katniss Everdeen, tribute from District 12." She takes her seat and I'm up. I walk out and Caesar smiles shaking my hand.

"Welcome Peeta! You're our last tribute of the night, so let's get it started." Caesar says and I nod.

"Peeta, you had a pretty good life in district 12. What made it so well?"

"Well, my father is the District baker. So I got to bake bread and frost cakes all day long." I say with a shrug and a few people laugh.

"How different is the bakery from the Capitol?"

"Not a huge difference actually." And I explain about how the district bread reflects in there tributes. I have them all eating from my palm. Then I talk about the perils of the Capitol showers.

"Tell me, do I still smell like roses?" I ask Caesar, and we both take turns sniffing each other. We talk a little about my training score but then he asks the question I've been waiting for. He asks if I have a girlfriend back home. I pause and shake my head unconvincingly.

"Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what her name?" Yes he took the bait. I sigh.

"Well, there is this one girl. I've had a crush on her ever sense I can remember. But I'm pretty sure she didn't know I was alive until the reaping." Sympathy spread across the crowd.

"She have another fellow?" _It looks like it,_ I think slightly.

"I don't know, but a lot of boys like her," I tell him. He smiles.

"So, here's what you do. You win, you go home. She can't turn you down then, eh?" He encourages me. I shake my head sadly.

"I don't think it's going to work out. Winning…wont help in my case." I say, letting my real emotions get the best of me

"Why ever not?" Caesar asks, mystified. I blush a deep red and I try not to stammer.

"Because…because…she came here with me."

**(So yeah, that's that! I hope you enjoy and I hope to get the next chapter out tomorrow or tonight. So enjoy!~ Primrose F. R. Mellark.)**


	10. Let the Games Begin

10

I'm looking down, not wanting to see Katniss's reaction. The crowd gasps and starts murmuring to each other. Caesar puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Oh, that is a piece of bad luck." Caesar says, real pain edging in his voice. The crowd agrees murmuring louder and some making agonized cries. This wasn't the effect I thought it would have on me. I thought the practice me and Haymitch had done would be enough. But it wasn't I just couldn't contain myself.

"It's not good," I agree glancing up slightly.

"Well, I don't think any of us can blame you. It'd be hard not to fall for that young lady. She didn't know?" Caesar asks me. I shake my head.

"Not until now." The sad whispers are still going around. I really do have them eating out of my hand. Most of the girl tributes, and some of the male, look sad. This couldn't have turned out better for her.

"Wouldn't you love to pull her back out here and get a response?" I try not to let the fear flash across my face. If she comes out that could ruin everything. But the crowd screams and for a moment I think they'll let her. "Sadly, rules are rules, and Katniss Everdeen's time has been spent. Well, best of luck to you, Peeta Mellark, and I think I speak for all of Panem when I say our hearts go with yours."

The crowd screams, and I have done amazingly with my plan. Sponsors are lining up, I can tell. It takes a while before the crowd quiets down enough for me to choke out a 'thank you.' I return to my seat but I just stay standing for the anthem. I'm forced to look up, to respect the anthem, and I every single screen has the image of me and Katniss. Were separated by a few feet, and Katniss has a lovely blush covering her cheeks. The anthem finishes and we all exist the square. Katniss avoids me, going to a different elevator. The tributes from 2 and 4 end up in my car. Cato looks at me and grins.

"You got some poor luck, Lover Boy." Cato growls. Everyone except me laughs.

"Yeah, Lover Boy, what are you gonna do when we kill her?" Clove, I think that's her name, sneers.

"Or if you kill her." The boy from 4 says, and I swear I would have punched him if I wasn't afraid Cato kill me. The doors open and him and Clove step out. I lean into the back of the car while they surround me. But before anything happens the door opens and they step out. I sigh and smack my head against the wall. She's so going to kill me maybe I can get to my room before she sees me. The doors open and I step out.

She smack her fists into my chest and I loose my balance. I hit a urn and I shatters. I slip to the floor and I cut my hands up. The blood stains the carpet, and I stare up at her.

"What was that for?" Shock and hurt crossing my face.

"You had no right! No right to go saying those things about me!" She shoots at me, and I shrink back a little. I knew this was coming, I had to know. But I don't know why it's killing that I hurt her? The other elevator opens and the whole crew comes out. Effie sounds hysteric.

"What's going on? Did you fall?"

"After she shoved me." I tell her quietly. Her and Cinna help me up by grabbing my elbows. Haymitch turns on her.

"Shoved him?"

"This was your idea. Wasn't it? Turning me into some kind on fool in front of the entire country?" She spits and I stare in shock. She thinks I made her a _fool?_

"It was my idea," I say wincing as I pull a shard from my hand. "Haymitch just helped me with it." It's not a lie, but we'll have to make it one.

"Yes, Haymitch is very helpful. To you!" She shouts again.

"You _are _a fool. Do you think he hurt you? That boy just gave you something you could never achieve on your own." Haymitch says with a disgusted glare.

"He made me look weak!" She shrieks.

"He made you look desirable! And lets face it, you can use all the help you can get in that department. You were about as romantic as dirt until he said he wanted you. Now they _all _do. You're all they're talking about. The star-crossed lover from District 12!" Haymitch growls at her.

"But were not _star-crossed lovers!"_ Oh Katniss how you know every way to kill my heart. Haymitch grabs her shoulders and pushes her against the wall. I want to pull him, never lay a hand on her again. But I won't, I know I won't, because if I do she'll know it's all real.

"Who cares? Its all a big show. It's all how you're perceived. The most I could say about you after your interview was that you were nice enough, although that itself was a small miracle. Now I can say you're a heartbreaker. Oh, oh, oh, how the boys back home fall longingly at your feet. Which do you think will get you more sponsors?" She shoves his hands of and steps away, shaking her head. Cinna walks over putting his arms around her.

"He's right, Katniss." He tells her and she sighs still a little annoyed. Why does Cinna have such an easy effect on her? Why couldn't I?

"I should have been told, so I didn't look so stupid."

"No, your reaction was perfect. If you'd known, it wouldn't have read as real." Portia tells her, will the smallest of reassuring smiles.

"She's just worried about her boyfriend." I tell them gruffly, pulling out more bloody shards. Her cheeks blaze.

"I don't have a boyfriend." She grumbles.

"Whatever, but I bet he's smart enough to know a bluff when he sees it. Besides _you _didn't say you loved _me._ So what does it matter." Her face fades from the anger that was there. Her shoulders slump and she sighs. I know that's why she was so worried, Gale thinking she loved me. But he's smart, and knows her better than anyone.

"After he said he loved me, did you think I could be in love with him, too?" She asks and I stifle a sigh. Of course now she worries about her reaction.

"I did," Portia jumps in. "The way you avoided looking at the cameras, the blush." And by the way she said it, I believed her. Others agree quickly.

"You're golden, sweetheart. You're going to have sponsors lined up around the block." Haymitch tells her. Embarrassment crosses her face, and she reluctantly looks at me.

"I'm sorry I shoved you." I shrug.

"Doesn't matter. Even though it's technically illegal." I remind her, trying to joke. She doesn't see it.

"Are your hands okay?" She asks again.

"They'll be alright." I shrug again. Were all silent, and the smell of dinner comes into the hall.

"Come on, let's eat." Haymitch breaks in and we all take out places at the table. But my hands are bleeding him way too much, so Portia takes me to get treatment.

"That could have gone better." She tells me. I shake my head.

"No, no one saw her burst so it couldn't have gone any better. We'll have so many sponsors, and she'll be safe." Portia nods adjusting her black glasses. We walk into the medical area and Portia starts cleaning my cuts. It burns but I don't wince, I just stand there, as she disinfects them and wraps them up. We walk back quickly and get back for the main course. I can see Katniss glancing at my hands, but I'm just over it. After diner we go and watch the replay.

Katniss looks so pretty spinning around and giggling. The TV does her no justice though, you can't see the light the bounced of her. Then I come on and at first it's fine, but then I confess my one secret. Katniss doesn't look up until the anthem and neither do I. The anthem finishes and the screen goes black. We're all silent, and we all know what's coming. Effie takes both of us by the hand and wishes us well, telling us thanks for being the best tributes she's had. That's it's been a privilege. Oh how I hate good-byes. But Effie makes me smile slight when she brings up how she might get a decent district next year. She kisses us both on the cheek and runs out, fighting tears the whole way.

Haymitch comes over crossing his arms across his chest.

"Any final words of advice?" I ask Haymitch.

"When the gong sounds, get the hell out of there. You're neither of you up to the blood bath at the Cornucopia. Just clear out, put as much distance as you can between yourselves and the others, find a source of water, got it?" He tells us.

"And after that?" Katniss asks.

"Stay alive." He directs it more at her, and I don't blame him. If I could I'd give her all the advice in the word I would. But I can't so I just have to hope she lives. She heads to her room and I linger, talking to Portia. Once she's out I fall into a chair.

"Peeta, I have an idea. You're going to hate it, but it'll keep her alive longer if you do it." She tells me in an urgent voice. I nod and lean into her and she whispers the plan in my ear so no one hears.

"Join the Careers, tell them you can lead them to her. That you know her weaknesses and strengths. And that once you're not needed anymore they can kill you. They'll eat it up, half to humor you, and half because they need you." I stare wide eyed and nod sharply. She pushes me up the stairs, telling me I need to rest before the games.

She has to know I will never sleep tonight, but I go to my room and take a shower. I pretend I'm at home so the water is close to freezing, and make sure its normal water. Then I walk out with my eyes shut, pull on a pair of sweat pants, and crawling into bed. I pretend that I'm at home, so I think of what I need to get done, bake 3 more of each loaf, move the stale bread into our cupboards, bake and frost 3 new cakes, removing the older ones from where they stand. Even though it's working, I'm forgetting where I stand; I can't shut of my head. I just start thinking of Baggett and Aloe, about my father. My mother or Nickel doesn't enter my thoughts.

I can't do it, I think as I get up quickly, putting on a shirt and headed to the roof. I get up there and go to the edge looking over. There's a huge party going on down there, people dancing, playing, and being stupid. I can see one person stumbling around like an idiot, making me wonder if its Haymitch. I can't tell if there in costumes or if it just the people. I stand there watching for what seems like hours.

I hear a small creek that comes from the door when you open it. I play with the bandages on my hands. Maybe it was the wind? No one's walked up to me, it could have been Portia, checking were I was. But she would have told me to go back to bed.

"You should get some sleep." Katniss's voice jumps me slightly but I don't let it show. I turn a little but still don't face her as I shake my head.

"I didn't want to miss the party. It's for us, after all." I tell her. She comes up beside me and leans over the rail like I am. She squints, staring at the people far below.

"Are they in costumes?" She asks, and I'm glad it dark, so her can't see the small grin that crosses my face. She wonders that too?

"Who could tell? With all the crazy clothes they wear here. Couldn't sleep either?" I ask seeing the small circles forming under her eyes. She sighs

"Couldn't turn my mind off." She tells me.

"Thinking about your family?" I ask.

"No," She admits to me, but I don't really blame her. I didn't really think of them as in missing them, more just to take my mind of it all. "All I can do is wonder about tomorrow. Which is pointless, of course." She looks at me, how I lean over the edge, holding my hands out in front of me strangely. "I really am sorry about your hands." She tells me again, and I just sigh, I hate having her apologizing to me.

"It doesn't matter, Katniss, I've never been a contender in these games anyway." She seems so shocked by the fact.

"That's no way to be thinking." She says strictly. Why does she care?

"Why not? It's _true._ My best hope is to not disgrace myself and…" I hesitate slightly, not sure how to put it.

"And _what?_" She asks, a little annoyed.

"I don't know how to say it exactly. Only…I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?" She shakes her head. I sigh thinking of how to explain. "I don't want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster I'm not." She bites her lip slightly, looking away back to the party below. She seems to understand what I mean.

"Do you mean you won't kill anyone?" She asks me. I shake my head.

"No, when the time comes, I'm sure I'll kill just like everybody else. I can't go down without a fight. Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to…to show the Capitol they don't own me. That I'm more than just a piece in their Games." I relies how insane I sounded.

"But you're not, none of us are. That's how the games work." She tells me sadly.

"Okay, But within that framework, there's still you, there's still me," I insist to her. "Don't you see?"

"A little Only…no offense, but who cares, Peeta?" She asks and I try not to scoff. Definition of no offence- I'm going to insult you, don't get mad though. I couldn't get mad at her though, but it seeped into my voice.

"I do. I mean, what else am I allowed to care about at this point?" I glare into her grey eyes, wanting her to answer me.

"Care about what Haymitch said. About staying alive." I listen to her, and if the circumstances were different I would hurt her right now. But if it comes down to her having to kill me, I want her to feel no regrets.

"Okay. Thanks for the tip, _sweetheart._" I say with a sad, mocking smile. By the look on her face, it worked. It looks like I slapped her, and that look changed to anger quickly.

"Look, if you want to spend the last hours of your life planning some noble death in the arena, that's your choice I want to spend mine in district 12." She spat at me, and I could deny I loved her ferocity.

"Wouldn't surprise me if you do. Give my mother my best when you make it back, will you?" I ask her.

"Count on it." She answers crossly, and without another word, walks off the roof. I tip my head to her and sigh loudly. I slide to the floor and lean against the wall for support. I let my eyes close as I listen to the wind and the chaos down below.

I wake up when Cinna shakes me. I open my eyes and see him with a sly smile. I stand instantly, shaking my head. Cinna pushes me down the stairs telling me that when Portia came to him telling she couldn't find me, he guessed that I was up here. I head to my room, were Portia stands worry showing everywhere on her face and body. She sees me and gives me a huge hug and I laugh, telling her I was sorry. She takes my hand and leads me back to the roof. I'll change under the catacombs right before the games. A hovercraft appears out of thin air, and I think of the night Katniss spoke of the Avox. I shake my head and reach to climb the ladder. I'm frozen solid, and as a woman comes up to me with a syringe I see why. If you were to move or wince when she stuck you with that thing…You wouldn't have much use for that arm for a while. She sticks me and I'm released to climb the rest of the way up.

We go over and eat breakfast, even though I feel sick as I do, and then just sit back waiting. I stare out the window, watching the towns go by beneath us. Portia and I don't speak the whole thirty minutes to the arena. I stop watching the window once it goes black and I just wait. The ladder falls again and we drop down into a tube, the catacombs under the arena. We go to my prep chamber, were I'll be prepared to go into the arena. The Stockyard, at least that's what we call it back home. Animals before they're slaughtered.

I take a shower, brush my teeth and stand in the small bathroom. I wrap a towel around my waist and Portia helps me, after I put on a pair of boxers, change into the outfit I'll wear until I die in these games. Under shirt, tawny pants, green T-shirt, black thin hooded jacket, that's going to reflect body heat. Portia tells me this but I don't pay to close attention. I'll miss her, I realize, this will be my last good-bye. She passes me skin tight socks and leather boots. But she doesn't look _at_ me, just at the clothes. I slip them on slowly and stand back up as she makes sure everything fits. Once she's through, she stands in front of me arms crossed. I stare back at her and wrap her in a tight hug. I can hear her stifled sobs, and I feel so bad. If Katniss wasn't my district partner, I really would try to win.

"Peeta, I never thought I would cry for a tribute. You should be proud." She tells me, sniffling.

"I'm sorry Portia, tell Alba I said hi? I'll miss you, oh so much. If I could win without hurting her…"

"I know, I know. Peeta, just promise me something." I nod.

"If, and I say if, she dies before you do, you'll try to win." She asks looking up from my chest, tears staining her face. I just nod. She buries her face into my chest again, and that's how we stand, until a voice tells us it's time to ready for launch. I lightly push her off of me and smile. I kiss her cheek, and pull her over to the metal plate I have to stand on to be launched into the arena. I step onto it and she waits just off to the side. She buries her face into her hands, but I take one of them so she'll look at me. The cylinder closes around me, breaking our hands forcefully. As I raise I see her mouth me the words 'good luck.' Darkness shrouds me making me feel claustrophobic. I raise my head, needing to look proud for the audience, and I'm stunned by the bright light around me.

"Ladies and gentleman. Let the 74th Hunger Games begin!"

**Hello again! Ok so I have been informed that apparently, when a girl writes in a guy's point of view, the guy sounds very girly…. Is it true? I hope not, Peeta is manly man! Hehe but yeah, so in this one I wanted to make him very…strong? Idk, but like Portia has a breakdown and he's like 'don't cry, I gonna die anyways!' … Yep… Remember Review and Recommend me to people! ~Primrose F.R. Mellark**


	11. Fight for my Death

11

** Disclaimer! I own nothing!**

Let the games begin indeed, I think as I look around the arena. I have sixty seconds to figure out how I'm not to be killed in the bloodbath, how to join the Careers, and how to make sure Katniss lives through it as well. Simple, right? I glance around and see there are 3 spears and 2 swords in the Cornucopia. If I can get those, Cato will follow me to get them. I'll then compromise with him, telling him I can lead them to her. Hopefully he'll say yes, or I don't know what else to do.

I look around the arena, checking the surroundings. Were in a field at the moment and across from us are woods. All around us are the woods and mountains. Behind us it's a lake and a field of what looks like wheat. The dirt around is completely flat, good traction for running. Haymitch is going to hate me, I just know it. I adjust my stance slightly and the mine under me beeps, warning me. I still myself, as much as I can. I glance over and see Katniss, staring straight at the bow and arrows. She better not, I think. I glare at her, and just for my luck, she looks at me. I shake my head sharply, warning her. She squints at me trying to see me better I guess and the gong sounds. I'm off sprinting to the spears and swords, grabbing them, and rushing the woods. I can hear someone rushing after me, and I throw the spears behind me. I drop one of the swords and I'm just lucky enough that Cato's the one who followed. I hold the spear out in front of me, ready to stab him with it, but he just laughs.

"I'm not stupid Lover Boy, I know you can't use a sword. Just drop 'em and run." But I don't, I stand tall and Cato doesn't like it. He lunges, slightly to the right so the sword doesn't cut him. I fall onto the sword and spears, which scrape up my back, and I also get a nice hit to the face.

"Cato, wait. I just wanted to get you out of there to talk... I want to join the Careers." He's eyes widen and he laughs so loud it hurts my ears.

"What can you do for us, Lover Boy?" He sneers at me. I look behind him, looking for Katniss. I see her hiking up a backpack over her head, where a knife lodges its self. And then she's gone into the woods, safe for now. He punches me in the head, taking the sword and dragging it on my arm. I let out a stiff whimper.

"I can do whatever you want," I tell him, spitting blood out of my mouth. I don't want to give her up that easily. He thinks for a minute, then a smile crosses his face.

"If you can lead us to her, then I'll let you join us." And I widen my eyes, trying to make it look like I don't want to hurt her. He laughs and spits in my face, then turns going back to the blood bath. But he stomps on my leg as hard as he can, and I shoot up clutching my leg tightly. There's no one there anymore though so I flip over and yell to Cato.

"Wait! Cato!" He turns a smile playing on his face. "I'll…I'll do it."

"I knew you'd come around, come on we got to get back. Don't want them killing without us." Cato says and runs back into the shrinking battle. I grab the remaining sword and the spears, running back into the fight. When Cato losses his sword, I give him the remaining one. I throw a spear at someone who's running of, and it hits there back. They stumble and a Clove who's got ever knife here finishes him, slitting his throat. I hide the shutter as best I can, walking to the Cornucopia. They all stare at me weapons raised.

"Relax, he's got no weapons. Anyway, I could snap his next in a second. He's the newest Career." Cato says with a grim smile. Throws me all the water bottles and tells me to go fill them. I sigh pulling them together and heading to the lake. I fill them as quickly as I can, but I keep checking over my shoulder, making sure Clove doesn't throw a knife at me. I grab the 4 biggest water bottles, not able to carry all 7 bottles alone. I bring them back and set them down. Clove takes one to drink, and I'm tempted to let her. But I change my mind right as its at her lips. I snatch it away from her, with a glare. Everyone looks up, surprised at my movement.

"If you drink that without purifying it, you could get sick." I tell her gruffly.

"Who are we going to purify water?" They all ask. I sigh and fall to my knees in front of one of the bags. I open it and luckily inside I find iodine. I put a few drops in each bottle, which Glimmer got the rest of. I inform them we need to wait 30 minutes till we drink it.

"But I'm thirsty now!" Glimmer whines, and I guess she's gotten everything she's ever wanted.

"Ok, then don't cry to me if you get real sick." Luckily, she waits. I think we've waited over an hour, which we passed by checking supplies and figuring out what to do. I hand Glimmer a bottle and she chugs a quarter of it. We pass around bottles, refilling and waiting to them to purify.

"Tonight, well go hunting. For animals and for people. What way did most people go?" Cato asks. The girl from 4, I think her names Odessa Sedna, points into the woods. Uh oh. That's the way Katniss went.

"Can I come?" I ask, and Glimmer nods with a small smile. Cato seems annoyed but allows it.

"Everyone take a small bag and put water and food in them. If any of us split up, we meet back here. Got it? We won't leave till dark." Cato's voice is really starting to annoy me. But I just nod, like everyone else, getting a small bag from the pile. I don't empty it, in case I have to run quick, and I put in the remaining water bottle and a small bag of dried meat and fruit. I cover it with a sheet of plastic and I shove it down as far as I can get it, so they won't see I have more than I should. We all sat on the ground, were everyone gossiped about. I just sat there drawing strange little pictures in the dirt. Odessa looked at them as I drew, but no one seemed to care. I take one of the bottles, pouring it onto my arm. I rip up cloth and wrap it tightly around the cut

She drew a circle around one of the pictures. It was Katniss's token, the little strange bird holding an arrow in its mouth.

"Katniss's token, not sure what the bird is though." I tell her quietly so I don't interrupt Marvel, who's talking about some way to reset the mines.

"Mockingjay's, those." She says and points one out to me. It flutters around the outer edges of the clearing. I nod, staring at the strange bird. It listened to us and took on the tones that everyone spoke in. This went on for hours, the sky darkened slowly and once we couldn't see the sun, we headed out. Marvel built a small fire, and we made torches to light the way. Cato, Clove, and Glimmer got flashlights. We headed down into the woods, the same way Katniss had run. I follow them slowly, trying to be quiet as I tromped through the woods. We walk for a couple of hours, Clove and Glimmer getting a rabbit each. I was watching my feet when a familiar smell entered my nose.

"Someone's built a fire." I say aloud, and they all look at me. I look around and I see a plume of smoke trailing into the sky. I point to the trailing smoke. They all smile, a new victim to them. I wasn't even worried it to be Katniss, she wouldn't be that stupid, even in freezing weather like this. We all walk even quieter sneaking closer to the tribute. I stiffen as we go though, because I see a familiar snare that only one person could do so well. The fire might not be Katniss's but the traps are. I can hear, whoever it is, snoring lightly. Cato presses his fingers to his lips, motioning Clove forward. The two surround her, and before she can finish her pleads, or even let out a full scream. I turn looking into the trees, squinting when I see something. Its black and stiller than stone, but it's not natural. I look away not wanting to draw attention to it.

"Twelve down and eleven to go!" Odessa cries out, and we all cheer or hoot out. We walk around the girl, looking for supplies but she's got nothing.

Cato tells us to move out, so they can claim the body. We mutter agreements and we start heading toward the tree with the strange black thing. I squint slightly again, and I hold back the gasp. It's a sleeping bag, and I see the very corner of a bright orange backpack. The image of Katniss hiking a backpack over her head flashes into my head. A bright orange backpack, hiked over protecting her head. Katniss is up in that tree.

I vaguely hear everyone complaining about not hearing a cannon. Everyone blames Cato, but he argues back stiffly. I don't want to do this, I really don't. But I force myself to spit it out.

"We're wasting time! I'll go finish her and let's move on!" Katniss must have just realized I was here, because I hear the rustle of the trees as she watches me walk over and prepare to kill a girl I never knew.

**(Ok, so this chapter was reallt fuuunnnnn! But sadly it was very difficult, because Peeta had to be really tough, but still hated by the Careers… Oh and I wont post the next chapter till I get 3 or 5 new reviews. This will help me have time to write the story! So yeah thanks guys, you all mean a lot to me! PS how did you guys find my story? ~Primrose F.R Mellark)**


	12. Slave of the Day

"Go on, Lover Boy, see for yourself." Cato growls, pushing me toward the girls dying body. I feel so sick as i pass through the woods out of the Careers sight. I can hear them murmuring together, but it was to difficult. I pull the knife from my belt, looking at the girl. She stared at me and whispered one, slurred word.

"Please." Of course she was in more pain than i ever wanted to be in, so i knelt down slowly and pushed the knife into her throat. She gasped, but then sighed, eyes fluttering shut. I pull my knife out, wiping the blood off on my pants and headed back.

"Was she dead?" Cato says, a small smile rising to his face.  
>"No, but she is now." Cato grumbles as the canon fires. "Ready to move on?" I growl. Cato nods and he sets off, along with all us us trailing, at a dead run. We head back to the cornucopia, but luckier for me, away from Katniss. We get back an hour just as the sun peaks over the trees.<br>"So I've been thinking, if we set the mines up today, we wouldn't have to worry about people stealing anything out of it." Marvel says with tired tone. "I think sense i have to re-rig them they'll be less effective, so we can have them a little closer together. Surround our food source, leaving small gaps in between so we can actually get the food. But we need to dig them up." He plops down to the dirt leaning against Glimmers leg.

She sit down leaning against his back, and they close there eyes. Soon there snores fill around us. I remove my bag, sit it on the ground and leaning against it. I clutch my knife, which Clove gave me, close to my chest.  
>I doze in and out, hearing people talk, or hearing loud snoring. I never let go of my knife, never relax my shoulders completely. Odessa settled herself next to me and leaned on me slightly, twitching her shoulder every time Cato got came near. We all slept until the sun was directly above us, then we all went to work.<p>

All of us, besides Marvel and Glimmer, started digging up the mines. We all dug the first one up together, lugging it to Marvel and Glimmer who would have to rewire it, and then we all take one to work on alone. I dig up mine in a little over an hour, drag it to Marvel in 30 minutes, and head back to do it again. Luckily I only dig up 2 more before Glimmer tells me to fill in the holes the mines left. I sigh, but when Cato glares at me I put on a fake bright smile telling her I'd be happy to.

I walk to one on the 12 newly dug holes in the dirt plain. I push the dirt that had been dug up, back into the hole. It, of course, didn't fill it so I had to flatten it all out making it look a natural as I could. I look up, wiping the sweat from my face, slipping the black jacket off as well. It's just to warm out to have it on, and I see everyone else is doing the same. Cato and Marvel have their shirts off, as do Clove and Odessa. Glimmer ripped her shirt to have vents as she pushes dirt back into the shallow holes. I pull the stiff green shirt off, throwing it into a pile.

"Lover Boy! Get over here! Wash the clothes so they don't stink up the place!" Marvel yells at me kicking his, Glimmer, Clove, and Odessa's clothes at me with his good leg. I growl and pick them up walking over to the lake. I step into the shallow water, putting the clothes on the shore. I lay the clothes one by one in the shallowest of water. I scrub them in between my fists, pretending its Cato's head. As they become clean I fold them and lay them into the shallow water again. As I'm in the water I clean the cut on my arm, and rinse my head to cool off. I carry the pile of clothes to the Cornucopia, where I lay them all onto the scorching metal. They sizzle loudly at first, but then slowly quiet down. I pull them off then flip them over. There all dry in 5 minutes, and I fold them all again laying them on the ground. I stand back stretching out, cracking my back stiffly.

"We got it! Lover boy, go dig 6 holes 2 feet apart." Marvel says with a bright smile, disconnecting something. The mine flashed red, and then went black. I walked away quickly, afraid that the mines would blow. I draw a circle the same size of the mine and starts digging quickly. Making it an inch deep, I dig a hole an hour. The sky darkens slowly around me, and I look up surprised on what I happen to see. I stand up from the 3 hole I've dug, wiping sweat off my brow. I block the sun with my hand and cock my head to the side. GLimmer and Clove are giggleing about something, and Odessa looks embaressed. I chuckle a little but head back to work when Marvel throws a rock at me.

We're all finished up and having to lug the mines back to the holes i had dug. They fit perfectly, which gets me a glare from Cato. Me and Cato push it over our heads, Marvel runs under and conects a few small wires. There's a loud 'beep' and we are instructed to lower it slowly into the hole. We did this 5 more times, and once we finish it was way past dark. I fell to the ground, slipping my shirt and jacket back on, shivering. Odessa comes up and leans against my back, like Marvel and Glimmer had, and hands me a blanket. I lay it over me legs and lean against her back. As i doze i hear something so strange i almost get up. I peek out from between my lashes.

Trees crumble a mile or two away, and a plume of smoke rises from the ashes. It was a forest fire, something that a tribute set off. But I vaguely wonder if I hear crashing, unlike any tribute, animal, or Cato could make as I close my eyes and drift off, watching Katniss twirl at the interview.

**(Ok this is my shortest chapter yet, but only because I really need to figure out how I'm doing this. I think the next chapter is the Tracker Jacker scene. But if not I'll be very sad…. So this time sense you guys got me 3 reviews in, like, 5 minutes… So now its 5 reviews. But Please answer this, how did you find my story?)~ Primrose F.R. Mellark**


	13. Bakers still burn

13

**I own nothing! **

The next morning my shoulders burned, probably from lifting all those mines. I see the fire that I saw last night, was larger than I guessed But when I look around, everyone else is asleep and the sun has barely passed the trees. I've only slept a few hours, I think with a growl. I move my knife, which is still clenched in my hand. I adjust myself a little, not to wake Odessa who's snoring lightly, and wait. I can't sleep, something's wrong I can feel it in my bones. There's a horrid, thick cracking noise far in the distance, and all I can see is Katniss being a part of it. No canon fires though, but that cracking wakes everyone. I pretend to groan, annoyed by the noise.

"These people, why can't they wait till noon to attack an innocent tribute?" Glimmer says with a whimper. Marvel pats her back slightly, pushing himself off the ground. I stand, helping Odessa as well. She smiles and picks up our stuff quickly putting it carefully behind the mines. While she's there she grabs some food.

"Let's go check this out." Cato says pointing to the woods. We all nod, though I can see Odessa glance around slowly, looking for a way to say no. I put my hand on her back gently pushing her forward lightly. We run into the woods full force, and I have no idea what Cato's thinking. Really it's just a bad idea, if there's been a fire, trees are weak, smoke is everywhere, and we have no cover.

Glimmer's the first to hear the hissing. She stops running and looks around. She jumps out of the way quickly and right as she does, a ball of fire hits me straigt in the chest. I let out a stiff whimper, as Cato tells us one thing.

"Run"

We all do. The hissing follows us and we hear all the hissing. When someone gets hit, we listen to their yelp and we move even faster. My hit burns, making my yelp out every time i get anything touching it. I grumble and push on faster running next to Cato now. I hear Odessa yelp and I look behind me seeing her bounce onto on leg. I slow slightly, coughing until she catches up. When she does she starts vomiting all the food from her system. I take her hand lightly, not planning to leave her. She stands straight and dart in front of me, following the pack quickly. I start following, my eyes watering, throat burning.

There haven't been any hits in a while, so we all start slowing. I swear over our gasping I hear a shriek but I don't ask. Because the voice is so familiar, I'm afraid it's Katniss. We get to a part of the forest that has minor burns and we collapse to the cold forest floor. The hit to my chest burns but I pretend not to feel it. Odessa has a mark on her thigh that's about half the size of her hand. Glimmer and Marvel have a few minor hits along them. Cato has a huge mark on his back, and I try not to laugh. That's what he gets for running us in here! Clove has escaped with a long mark on her arm.

"Now that…was…brutal…" Glimmer gasps out. Marvel and Cato nod swiftly, leaning on trees. I close my eyes wincing at the mark on my chest. I slip my jacket off, trying to stop the burning, but it has no effect. I whimper quietly, but I'm not alone. Marvel's groaning and he doesn't even have anything bad. Glimmer and Clove and close to tears as they pick at the wounds. I cough, but it only burns my throat.

This is what we do for the next 4 hours. Dozing off, licking our wounds, arguing about who got the worst blow. Odessa stays away from me and I have to wonder what I did wrong. Maybe she just knows I won't be around much longer, or she was the bait I never took.

I'm dozing off when Cato shoots up, perking slightly. We all are quiet and he just smiles. We all hear it. The snoring, that's so quiet we all hold our breath to hear. We all pick ourselves up and walk quietly to the sound. I walk toward the front and I think I'm the first to see her. She's picking herself up and running. I see the horrid burn on the back of her leg, and it puts our wounds to shame.

We follow quickly though I really don't want to. We see her, but we loss her at one point Cato grumbles about it, but we all here the creaking and rustling of the leaves. We start looking up, catching a glimpse of her and rushing to the tree. We stare up at her and her at us. She looks at me but I avoid her gaze. Suddenly she smiles.

"How's everything with you?" She calls down cheerfully. We're all stunned, she seems so happy. Cato recovers quickest of all of us though.

"Well enough, yourself." He yells up with a smile.

"It's been a bit warm for my taste. The air's better up here. Why don't you come on up?" She yells down to us. I hide my laughter by pulling my knife out, and starting to clean it.

"Think I will." Cato says and I just look away. I am not watching Cato kill himself, even though it would bring me great joy. Glimmer pulls something off her back. Bow and arrows. Why didn't I notice her grabbing those? Katniss's eyes widen.

"Here, take this, Cato." She says with a grim smile. She must have seen Katniss eyeing them. Cato refuses them, preferring his sword. He tries to climb it, but she scurries up a little higher. She gets about 10ft. higher and _crack!_ Cato falls to the ground. I try as hard as I can not to laugh, I really do, but I have to cough to hide it. He starts swearing, saying some I've never even heard. If I used that at any time in these Games and made it back, I'd still be dead. Mother would kill me once I got home.

Glimmer tries her luck but once she hears crack, jumps down. I see Katniss never stopped climbing, but now she's 80ft. up. Glimmer tries shooting her with the bow, but fails completely. Katniss grabs the arrow, which was lodged in nearby tree, and waves it above our heads.

Cato gathers us together, talking strategy. I couldn't let them hurt her, but Katniss would eventually find a way to escape. I just need to give her time. I glare at them all furiously.

"Oh, let her stay up there. It's not like she's going anywhere. We'll deal with her in the morning." I spit harshly. They all reluctantly agree and we settle in for the night. We all settle in, me leaning against the tree, taking watch so she can't escape. I can hear her shifting around up in the tree, and I see her setting up her sleeping bag, letting her leg hang out.

"Haymitch," I mutter as everyone circles together, talking. "Send her something for that burn damnit!" I whisper. All I know is this will be a long night.

**(So, well ok… I lied about the review thing. I just kinda said it, so I would have time and get more reviews. I got close though 4 I think? Anyways yeah, so. Oh and is there a way to see how many people view my stories? No, yes, idk? Please tell! Peeta's gonna get cut up in the next chapter, just remember that. So yeah! Bye guys!)**


	14. Straight into the nest

**14**

The anthem plays loudly, making it hard to hear anything else. Cato looks up watching the sky, seeing who died. I look up seeing who's alive. How many more people Katniss needs to kill before she can win. No one's dead though, same as it was that first day. But I think the firing squad was enough excitement. Katniss is moving around in that tree, what she's doing I can't see. I yawn and the others settle in. I close my eyes till I hear the familiar snoring of everyone. It's going to be a long night.

I stay awake all night, watching every move, every twitch of the Careers. Listening to every sound, every little chirp. I can see all around me, but the smoke burned my eyes. I keep looking up at Katniss and I see she's also sleeping. I know I could sleep, I really could, but I won't do it. I think of how I'm getting that bow to Katniss, how I'll get Cato alone and hurt him. I polish my knife again, even though I could eat off of it, thinking how much damage it would do to him. Not enough to kill him, I think with a sad sigh. I prod my leg with the knife to keep myself awake.

The sun rises what feels like days later. I pretend to be asleep, in case someone wakes and sees me. I hear Katniss high above and I open my eyes slightly. I hear a rustle a few tree's away, but when I look up Katniss is still in her tree. Then I hear sawing. I look closer and I see Katniss is cutting a wasp nest down. Oh, how I want to run. But that would give Katniss up, so I stay still waiting for Katniss to drop it on us. I hear it crash through the trees, and smashing on the ground closes to me. I had tucked my knife into my belt, but its cutting into my hip so I through it down and run, yelling 'to the lake!' along with a few others.

I can hear Glimmer shrieking loudly, and Odessa is nowhere to be seen. I hear Glimmer, spazzing around but I don't care. I just dive into the lake. I stay under till I cant stay under any longer. I push out from under the water, gasping for air. But it wasn't long enough; I still get stung on the side of my face. I wince and head out. Cato is in the water still, and I know what I'll do. He can see me as I run to the Cornucopia, grab a spear and run into the woods. He's following; I can hear him tromp out of the water. I think I hear Marvel, and I raise my spear ready to hit him. But when I get there I find it only Katniss her bow raised at my head. She's on the ground, over Glimmer's body.

I stop dead in my track dropping my arms. Shock must be pure on my face, I thought she was smarter. She needs to run, _now._ If she doesn't, Cato is tromping this way with our answer.

"What are you still doing here?" I hiss at her. The water drips off of me, but its uncomfortable. She looks so surprised and I figured out why. She thinks I've dropped the star-crossed lover thing. She thinks I hate her, as she must me. Even though I've warned her though, she doesn't move.

"Are you mad?" I prod her with the end of the spear. "Get up! Get up!" And she listens this time. She looks scared and confused, which is good. She'll move faster if she doesn't understand. I hear Cato, and I think Marvel to coming to kill me and Katniss.

"Run!" I yell and then again I scream out. "Run!" Cato's behind me now and I raise the spear turning. I can hear Katniss fumble around running as best she can. It looked like she was stung 2 or 3 times. My heads spinning, I can't see straight, and Cato has the sword at my hip.

"I won't kill you Lover boy; I'll just make your life hell." He slashes my upper leg with is sword. I feel it scrape the bone. I shriek and collapse as blood spurts out. Cato laughs and then see's Glimmer behind me. I turn get up and limp away, seeing Odessa as I go. I can't go very far, but I make it far enough away from Cato. He won't follow me, he wants me dead, but wants me to suffer more. I collapse to the ground, my leg killing me. I'm close to a stream, so even though I have no iodine, I can still drink the water. I lean over sipping it lightly, not even caring about what could be lurking in it. I take some water in my hands and pour it on my leg. I try, and I say try, to not scream. But it's hard; I can barely keep my mouth shut. It's just too hard, a small whine escapes my lips.

I decide I need to camouflage myself so no one can kill me off that easy. I don't know why I'm doing it though. My plan was protect Katniss as much as I can, then die. But something tells me I need to stay here. I take the plant the surround me and make a barrier that looks like a bush. I mix mud and the juices of the plants around me to cover my legs and hands, to hide whatever skin is showing. I lean against a tree and close my eyes, but I know sleep is impossible. But the venom, mixed with the pain, is enough to make me black out. I keep dozing in and out of consciousness. When I'm out, Katniss holds a knife to my throat, and when I'm awake the pain is over powering. I must have been going in and out for 2 days.

"Move, Peeta." I hear my mother tell me, and I move whining in pain to get a drink. It's not appetizing though, not at all. I'm not hungry either, which is good sense I have no food. I wonder if Katniss is ok. She must be, but she did have a few stings. I think of what I've missed. I remember one of the times I awoke I heard the anthem, but I blacked out again before I even looked up.

This wasn't a good day, and by my guess it wasn't getting better.

**(I am amazing today. 3 chapters added? Heck yeah! I think I might get another one up too! Don't you just love me? Anyways enjoy!)~Primrose F.R. Mellark (oh and if you're wondering F- Finnick R- Rue) =D**


	15. Deffence of the Dying

15My heart is pounding quicker now, and my breathing is messed up. I'm freezing but my head has a sheen of sweat covering it. I don't know what to do. All I can do is hide, to die in peace. I start gathering together stuff to hide myself. Sense I can't go far, it involves plant juices and mud. I lay down into the mud and start covering myself. I don't know why I want to be so close to the river bed, but the sound of rushing water comforts me. I cover myself in the mud, and as I hoped I sink in to the mud so I'm the natural height of the mud. I layer the mud over my body and rub it onto my face. I cover myself layer by layer, and then close my eyes.I sleep most of the time, I can't move any further than the little hole I've set myself in. One day I wake to an explosion. Someone destroyed the Careers supplies, I know it. Or it was an accident. I can't be sure. I don't hear a canon, but I smell smoke. It hurts my throat. I don't want to remember that. What feels like hours later hear a scream, and I think I hear Katniss yelling for Rue. I close my eyes again as a canon fired. I vaguely wonder it its Katniss, before falling into the pain again. But this time, i stay out for less time, and i can't feel my leg a lot. I still know exactly where the cut is, and how deep but i have no feeling in it. I try moving it, but that sends pain shooting through it. I sigh, can't have everything.I finally sleep, without passing out from pain. It feels nice, to dream of Katniss as she smiles and laughs. Not as she writhes on the floor, screaming. Or as she hits me in the heart with an arrow. I hope the canon wasn't her's because i had promised Portia to win if she was dead. And right now I couldn't move an inch without screaming. I don't feel sick though, and i'm so confused. How long have i been here? How many times have i passed out from pain? Am i really passing out from hunger?Is Katniss safe? Is she alive? I haven't seen the anthem and a few days, so maybe she's died while i was out. I hope not, she's to smart to die. To pretty, to lovely, and way to much apart of my world. _If she's dead, let me die soon. _I think sadly. BUt i sadly can't die soon enough. I stay alive and not moving, and not eating. All i do is wait for myself to die, wait for a parachute, wait for _something_. Something never comes. I'm awake when the anthem plays tonight and in the sky i see Marvel and Rue are in the sky. I left a few small tears pass, for the poor little girl i never got to meet. She wasn't meant to die in this kind of game. I whisper to myself and then fall asleep seeing Rue the whole time. **(Ok so this is really short and i'm sorry about that. But its because i'm going to a friends house and she doesnt know i write these... BUt i'll be posting tommorrow i swear thanks guys!)**


	16. How 'bout that kiss?

16

Claudius Temple's voice is what wakes me. He's informing us of a rule change.  
>Ok, I think, what could they throw at us now?<br>I listen as closely as I can to the news, but my ears are covered in mud. I raise my head so I hear the last thing he's saying.  
>"- two tributes can win! That's right! If two tributes from the same district are the last ones standing, they can win!" And the voice disappears. I lay my head back down and close my eyes. It takes a while before it settles in. Two tributes can win. IF there from the same district, they can both win. They don't have to kill each other to win. My eyes shoot open.<br>They only made the rule for one reason. Katniss is still alive, we can both win. Star-crossed lovers can win! I try to call out, but my throat burns. I close my eyes again, wishing, hoping, Katniss will find me. I doze and I swear I can hear a very muffled voice yelling out my name.  
>I dream of Katniss finding me, of her winning, and me by her side. I see Portia crying and smiling as she see's me again. Haymitch telling us we could have done better. Katniss hugging me, kissing me. I smile at the images. As Portia hugs me, Cato comes in. He stabs me, right in the back.<br>I wake panting, and if i wasn't covered in mud, i would have sweat all over my face. I stare at the trees above me, listen to the muffled sounds the birds make. But there's something else, a noise that's not normal. I shut my eyes and lay stiller than i have in days. I listen closely, turning my head slightly so my ear is out of the mud.  
>"Peeta, Peeta?" I hear farther away, but i can't tell if that what there really saying. I hear the birds repeat the tone quickly, and the voice stops. I sigh, if i could search i would. I hear a foot hit the water and i look up to see a familiar braid.<br>"You here to finish me off, sweetheart" I ask her, but my voice is raw and horrid. It burns to, probably part of the facet that i haven't drunk anything in a few days. She spins around looking near me, but not exactly at me. She whispers something, but i can't hear her. I don't want to say anything, incase she's not looking for me, but i doubt she isn't. SHe would loss her sponsors if she didn't look.  
>She walks on the shore now, looking. She getting close to me and just barely steps over my arm.<br>"Well, don't step on me." And that sends her back. SHe leaps away from me quickly. I open my eyes again and she's staring at me. She gasps when she sees me and i laugh. She stares and instructs me to close my eyes again. I wipe my face clean and close my eyes.  
>"I guess all those hours decorating cakes paid off." And i smile up at her.<br>"Yes, frosting. The final defense of the dying." I tell her, meaning it more of a joke. But realize how true it is.  
>"You're not going to die." She tells me strictly.<br>"Says who?" I ask her in a ragged voice. I realize how bad i sound, how much i need water.  
>"Says me. We're on the same team now, you know." She tells me with a little smile. I open my eyes again.<br>"So, i heard. Nice of you to find what's left of me." I mock her lightly. She pulls out a water bottle and helps me out of it. The water tastes so clean, but i don't want to drink it. I stop after a small sip.  
>"Did Cato cut you?" She asks but she must know about it.<br>"Left leg. Up high." I answer, my voice a tiny bit better. She nods and tells me.  
>"Let's get you in the stream, wash you off so i can see what kind of wounds you've got." I nods a little.<br>"Lean down a minute first, need to tell you something." She puts her ear near my lips as i whisper to her.  
>"Remember, we're madly in love, so it's all right to kiss me anytime you feel like it." She jerks her head away so fast, i think she got whiplash. But she just laughs telling me she'll keep that in mind. I mean it as a joke to her, but i mean it. She bends over, and pulls the mud away from me helping me sit. I didn't realize how weak i really was, how i could move at all. The steam isn't that far, two or three ft. max. She tries to drag me over there, which i thought would work. But, even though i try as hard as i can not to scream, sharp cries escape my lips.<br>I did a little to good a job camouflaging, for i'm stuck in the dirt i used to hide myself. She grabs me tightly and tugs swiftly, and hard. I break free but it kills. I fall to my side and clench my teeth, letting a few tears fall from my face.  
>"Look, Peeta, i'm going to roll you into the stream. It's very shallow here, okay?" She asks me, a worried look on her face. I am such a wimp aren't i?<br>"Excellent." I tell her through gritted teeth.  
>"On three. One, two, three!" She pushes me over but, a strange sound is coming from me as i hold back the scream thats bubbling in my throat. She stops me and we end up right next to the stream. She contemplates something then looks back to me.<br>"Okay, change of plans. I'm not going to put you all the way in." She tells me, and i hide the sigh of relief.  
>"No more rolling?" I insure, which she nods to.<br>"That's all done. Let's get you cleaned up. Keep an eye on the woods for me, okay?" I nod a little and she just sits there. She must not know what to do, but i sure as hell don't. She leans over me, hesitates a little more, then gets to work.  
>She fills her 2 water bottles and a water skin, keeping them in a place so there always filling. She pours t*he water on me, cleaning the mud and dirt from me. She doesn't realize till she finds my clothes, about how much i covered myself. She slips my jacket off and unbuttons my shirt, which is hard to get off. Then my undershirt, which has been soaking up water, mud and blood for the last 3-6 days, isn't saved. It has to be cut off and soaked before she can even take it off. Once that's all off she looks me over.<br>I have the burn on my chest, bruised covering it to from the first day when Cato beat me. I have more tracker jacker stings than I remember getting but the cut Cato gave me, sort of made me forget about those. She looks at me, and moved me so I'm leaning on a boulder. I watch her as she cleans the mud and grime off. She pulls the stingers of the trackers out, making me wince, but then she puts some chewed leaves on each sting and I sigh with relief.

She washes my clothes in the shallow stream, laying them on boulders to dry. Coming back over, she puts some strange cream on the burn across my chest. I never really remember it hurting much, but somehow the cream makes it cool. She seems confused as she rubs it on my chest, and then goes digging through a little first aid kit. She pulls a few pills from a bottle, extending her hand.

"Swallow these, you must be hungry." She says handing me the pills. I take them obediently, swallowing them all at once. I'm so tired though, I just want to sleep.

"Not really. It's funny, I haven't been hungry for days." I say with a tiny smile. It's not that I haven't been full, it's more of I'm passing it. When I think of food my stomach refuses it. Like when Katniss offers me a piece of cooked bird, I wrinkle my nose and turn my head so I can't smell or see it. She stares at me, much too worried.

"Peeta, we need to get some food into you." She sounds like my mother when I'm sick. Always making me eat and drink.

"It'll just come right back up." I tell her sadly. She still tries though, and to ease her I eat a few pieces of dried fruit. I look at Katniss, eyes blurred from sleep.

"Thanks, I'm much better, really. Can I sleep now, Katniss?" I almost beg.

"Soon," She promises but it seems way too long in my mind. "I need to look at your leg first."

I feel awkward as she removes my boots, socks, and pants carefully. It makes me feel like I was 5 and I couldn't dress myself. She looks at the cut in the fabric, and she looks prepared until she sees it.

Its inflamed, which isn't surprising. But its oozing blood and pus, it's swollen horribly. But the smell, oh god that smell, it was horrid. Rotting flesh never smells good. I want to scold her, tell her I am dying, she should leave me. But she won't, she can't. She turns away not looking at it, not looking at me. I know she want to run, I can see it in the way she's crouched, ready to run.

"Pretty awful, huh?" I say watching her closely.

"So-so," she says with a shrug. But I know how fake it really is. "You should see some of the people they bring my mother from the mines," She tells me, but I have seen them. And I've also seen her running from the house as they enter. "First thing is to clean it well."

She pushes a sheet of plastic under my leg and cleans everything else. She doesn't touch my boxers and I find it a little funny. She treats some burns and a tracker jacker sting. But once she has nothing else to do beside the cut, she stumble on what to do.

"Why don't we give it some air and then…" She trails off.

"And then you'll patch it up?" I ask sympathetically. I really feel bad for her having to take care of me, and I can't say I enjoy it either. I hate being taken care of, I always have but I know how to deal with it.

"That's right, in the meantime, you eat these." She puts dried pear halves in my hand, going to the stream to wash the rest of my clothes. I eat the pears, but I swear it take all my strength not to puke it all back up. I lean my head against the boulder, wondering if I can sleep.

"We're going to have to experiment some." She admits to me. She chews the leaves that helped with the stings, and presses it to my leg. Pus runs out like a water fall and I look away, leaning my head back. She looks so sick I feel horrid.

"Katniss?" I say aloud then mouth her 'how about that kiss?'

She burst out laughing and my heart slightly sinks. Had I really been hoping she'd kiss me? I must be a really idiot.

"Something wrong?" I ask innocently.

"I…I'm no good at this! I'm not my mother. I've no idea what I'm doing and I _hate _pus! Euh!" She removes the leaves from my leg and applies another layer. "Euuuh!" She shrieks a little.

"How do you hunt?" I ask, because if she's this squeamish here….

"Trust me. Killing things is much easier than this. Though for all I know, I am killing you." She tells me.

"Can you speed it up a little?" I ask, half a joke, half serious.

"No. Shut up and eat your pears." I chuckle slightly.

It takes forever for her to remove all the pus. She can see the cut now, how deep it was. I can still feel his blade cutting my leg. I shudder. This is why Haymitch drinks.

"What's next, Dr. Everdeen?" I ask her. She gives me a halfhearted glare.

"Maybe I'll put some of the burn ointment on it. I think it helps infections anyway. And wrap it up?" The cut looks better, I have to say, when its covered in a sterile bandage. She glares at my boxers for a moment, then hands me a backpack.

"Here, cover yourself with this and I'll wash your shorts." She tells me. I cock my head slightly, then say quickly.

"Oh, I don't care if you see me." Which is slightly untrue.

"You're just like the rest of my family. I care, alright?" I chuckle slightly, slipping of the shorts when her backs turned. I through them into the stream, happy I can move again.

"You know, you're kind of squeamish for such a lethal person." I tell her as she washes of my shorts. "I wish I'd let you give Haymitch a shower after all."

She wrinkles her nose at that thought making me laugh. I would never do that to her though.

"What's he sent you so far?" she asks. Such a strange question.

"Not a thing." I tell her. She says nothing and it hits me. "Why did you get something?"

"Burn medicine… Oh and some bread." She says sheepish.

"I always knew you were his favorite." I role my eyes.

"Please, he can't stand being in the same room with me." She scoffs.

"Because you're just alike." I mutter. She ignores me though, finally letting me doze. I slept happily, no dreams entering my head. It feels like I've been asleep for 5 minutes when Katniss shakes my shoulder.

"Peeta, we've got to go." I open my eyes still a little dazed.

"Go? Go where?" I grumble. I rub my eyes, getting the sleep away.

"Away from here. Downstream maybe. Somewhere we can hide you until you're stronger." She tells me and I try to hide my hatred of the idea. She helps me dress, leaving my feet bare. She packs all of her stuff into the bags. She stands up swiftly, and pulls me up right. At first all my weight is on one foot, but once I adjust myself the blood drains from my face, and I almost scream.

"Come on, you can do this." She encourages me.

But I cant. I don't know when she thought I could, for I can't go without blacking out. I make it 50 yards down the stream, Katniss propping me on her shoulder, and I still almost black out. She forces me to sit, head between my knees, patting my back gently. A few minutes later, when I'm able to stand, she helps me up and we go to a cave. It's twenty yards up a hill, and I feel so bad for Katniss. I'm panting, and I shivering from how cold it is.

She covers the floor with pine needles, sets up her sleeping bag and lays me into it. Making me eat a couple more pills and drink a little more water, Katniss tries to get me to eat more. I grumble, and keep my mouth shut. She sneaks water into me after I start refusing, and I feel like a toddler. I don't want to compare Katniss to my mother, but she's been acting like her sense she found me.

Funny thing, my mother wasn't always cruel. She was sweet and gentle, the way I any mother should be. But when I was 3 or 4 my mother found out my father was in love with another woman. She broke, destroyed herself, and became cruel and bitter. The day she found out was the first day she hit me. Right across my left cheek, as hard as she could. She's gotten better with hitting us, making so she doesn't hit us hard enough to leave a mark. I shake my head, Katniss wouldn't hit me. Unless I was a complete moron.

She's building a concealer for the mouth of the cave. She doesn't make it to her satisfaction and tears it down with a growl. I watch her as she paces around slightly thinking of what to do.

"Katniss," I say. She turns walks over to me, brushing my hair from my face lightly. "Thanks for finding me." I tell her.

"You would have found me if you could." I can tell she's really checking my temperature, but pretend that's not the reason. She looks frightened though, as she brushes my hairs back.

"Yes. Look, if I don't make it back-" I start

"Don't talk like that. I didn't drain all that pus for nothing!" She growls at me.

"I know! But just in case I don't-" I try again.

"No, Peeta! I don't even want to discuss it." She says pressing her fingers to my lips.

"But I-" I try insisting.

She leans down and presses her lips to mine. Warm bursts there and I try to make it last. She's just so perfect, so lovely. I can't even believe she kissed me. I wonder what Gale's thinking, but he probably knows its fake. But that doesn't mean I can't pretend. She pulls the sleeping bag around me.

"You're not going to die. I forbid it. All right?"

"All right." I whisper back, to stunned to say anything else. She steps out and I lean forward, running my hand through my hair. She kissed me, really kissed me. It wasn't that same peck on the cheek like in the training center. Oh no, this was so much better. And I feel so much better to. I lean back and start dozing off again.

"Peeta!" I hear Katniss say in a strange but sweet voice. I'm in too much of a daze though to really wake up. She walks over and starts kissing me to wake me up. It startles me, but I see her in a new light. Someone I really love, someone who could, and might, love me. I would be happy just watching her. She smiles back at me holding up a pot.

"Peeta, look what Haymitch has sent you!"

**(Ok, so yep. I know its really late but I thought I was coming home at like 9 but I came home at like 1. And I didn't work on it right when I got home. I was tired, I helped her load her bosses horses and take them to the vet. But now its out. REMEMBER THOUGH- I will **_**not **_**post one thing If I don't get at least 2 reviews. Just making that clear. But please tell me if theres a change I could make that would make it better. Thanks Guys!~ Primrose F.R. Mellark)**


	17. Who can't lie?

17

**(Ok guys you'll be happy to know, I'm sick. So I might miss school tomorrow, which would give me time to work on this. In case it doesn't though I'll put up as many chapters as I can. Soo yeah thanks guys, bye!~Primrose F.R. Mellark)**

That broth, oh god. I couldn't eat it, not because it tasted bad but because I was just so sick. But when I realized that persuasion involved kissing me, I admit I refused a lot more than I would have normally. I doze in and out, Katniss does whatever Katniss does. At one point, I feel her slide into the sleeping bag with me. She snuggles close to me, but then presses her hand to my forehead. She moves around and then I feel something wet hit my forehead. With that on my head, I fall asleep easily after that.

When I wake up Katniss is gone. I look around, call out her name. But she doesn't come, no one does. I pull myself out of the sleeping bag, and move a little closer to the wall. I put all my weight on my good leg and try standing. My knee buckles up though so it's pointless. But what if she's hurt, what if Cato's got her, what if this, what if that. I struggle, trying to stand when Katniss walks in.

"I woke up and you were gone. I was worried about you." I tell her when she gives me a frightened look. She laughs pushing me carefully to the ground again. I stare up at her eyes wide, hoping she knows how worried I was. She smiles delicately at me.

"You were worried about me? Have you taken a look at yourself lately?"

"I thought Cato and Clove might have found you. They like to hunt at night." I tell her seriously. She shouldn't leave me like that.

"Clove?" She asks, "Which one's that?" She asks and I remember she never paid attention to the Careers.

"The girl from district 2. She's still alive right?" I make sure.

"Yes, there's just them and us and Thresh and Foxface." She answers my confused look. "That's what I nickname the girl from 5. How do you feel?" She asks me.

"Better than yesterday. This is an enormous improvement over mud." I tell her. "Clean clothes and medicine and a sleeping bag…and you." Tell her truthfully. She touches my cheek with her hand and I snatch it pressing it to my lips. I remember I'd seen an older man do this to his wife. They found him 2 days later. Dead, alone in his home.

"No more kisses for you until you've eaten," She tells me strictly. I sigh as she props me up against the wall and I obediently swallow some berry mush. But I still don't eat the bird, I think I heard her call it groosling.

"You didn't sleep." I tell her tracing the circles under her eyes. She takes my hand lightly and sets it on the floor.

"I'm all right." She says but I can see the mist in her eyes.

"Sleep now. I'll keep watch. I'll wake you if anything happens," She doesn't look impressed. "Katniss, you can't stay up forever." She contemplates that. She has to know I'm right, I am kind of smart.

"All right. But just for a few hours. Then you wake me." I nod. I kind of wish she'd lay with me, her head on my lap. But she just flattens the sleeping bag next to me and lays down, one hand on her bow. I stare outside ready to warn her at a moment.

"Go to sleep," I tell her softly. I brush my hand over her head, brushing her hair from her forehead. I just keep brushing the hair from her face, staring at her, watching her as she sleeps. She smiles and laughs sometimes in her sleep, but also her brow furrows together and points and little squeaks escape her. When they do I whisper to her, stroking her head. I do that for 6 or so hours. I turn staring at the sun, watching it rise and fall.

My hand stays on her head brushing her hair lightly. But I feel it when she wakes up, as she starts to sit up. Her hand doesn't move from the bow, but the dark circles are gone and her eyes are bright and alert. She glares at me.

"Peeta, you were supposed to wake me after a couple of hours." She says, anger seeping in.

"For what? Nothing's going on here. Besides I like watching you sleep. You don't scowl. Improves your looks a lot." Then she scowls at me, bringing a huge grin to my face. Then she stares at my lips. I cock my head slightly, but she puts her hand on my cheek. I haven't been sweating and I feel fine. A little cold though. I tell her I've been drinking the water, I really haven't been thirsty, but she doesn't believe me at all. So she gives me more pills and makes me drink two bottles of water. I grumble and groan at her. She treats the minor wounds, and then unwraps my leg. She gags and I look at it too.

Blood poisoning, it's that simple. It's swollen bigger than it was, and the skin is shining and inflamed. Red streaks are starting to crawls up my leg. My mother told me about it once, Baggett got it before and if not treated I'll surely die. I don't know a treatment though, but sponsors do. They know who to save me, but if it's in exchange for something of Katniss, I'm ignoring it.

"Well, there's more swelling, but the pus is gone," She tells me trying to be peppy about it.

"I know what blood poisoning is, Katniss. Even if my mother isn't a healer." I tell her as gently as I can.

"You're just going to have to outlast the others, Peeta. They'll cure it back at the Capitol when we win." She tells me holding my shoulders.

"Yes, that's a good plan." But I tell her just to be kind for her.

"You have to eat. Keep your strength up. I'm going to make you soup." She says getting up.

"Don't light a fire, it's not worth it." I tell her gripping the end of her shirt. She pushes my hand off.

"We'll see." She says, leaving me in the cave. I smack my head off the wall. _Katniss, I can't lie to you but I'm dying. I won't live much longer, even if that's what you want. But you can have Gale, he'll love you like you should be._ I think.

I crawl over a bit making myself a bed in the shade, and I lay down. I just lay there hoping Katniss comes in sooner; she always makes the pain disappear. But sadly even when she comes in, the pain just losses its edge. She puts a cool clothe on my head, but it heats up quickly. I realize I really do have a fever, and it's bad. I'm so hot, and I look to Katniss.

"Do you want anything?" She asks me. I shake my head.

"No." I say, "Thank you," I add quickly out of habit. "Wait, yes. Tell me a story."

"A story? What about?" She says, cocking her head.

"Something happy. Tell me about the happiest day you can remember." I ask of her. She purses her lip, probably wondering about the story. I watch her as she thinks, the confusion giving her a cute little pucker on her forehead.

"Did I ever tell you about how I got Prim's goat?" I shake my head and look for her to tell me. She sighs and tells me what happened. She wanted to get Prim something special, but sense they didn't have a lot of money, she had to sell and old locket of her mothers. I have a feeling it more involved her selling something she killed but I don't ask. It _is _illegal.

She continues that her and Gale went to the market in the square. She was looking as some fabric, when she saw the old goat herder. She looked to Gale and told him she wanted a goat that had had her shoulder chewed up. They both went over to inspect her, but the old herder told them to shoo off, she was going to the butcher. The butcher though, luckily, faked hatred for the goat, so Katniss could have her.

I now remember on day there were tons of people gathered around 3 people that were deciding a price on a goat. I wonder if that was her.

In the end she got the goat, Gale carrying it for her. But before she got home she bought a pink ribbon and tied it around her neck.

"You should have seen Prim's reaction when we walked in with that goat." Katniss said with a laugh.

Prim, I'd heard, could heal anything, anyone, unless they were too far gone. Prim did the same to that goat. Working through the night, coaxing foul liquids down the goat's throat.

"They sound like you," I tell her, making her look up surprised. I chuckle, she forgot I was here.

"Oh, no, Peeta. They work magic. That thing couldn't have died if it tried." But she quickly bit her tongue. I smile at her.

"Don't worry." I tell her resting my hand on her knee. "I'm not trying. Finish the story." I ask eagerly.

"Well, that's it. Only I remember that night, Prim insisted on sleeping with Lady on a blanket next to the fire. And just before they drifted off, the goat licked her cheek, like it was giving her a good night kiss or something. It was already mad about her." She saw looking off into space.

"Was it still wearing the pink ribbon?" I ask.

"I think so, why?" She says, looking back at me.

"I'm just trying to get a picture. I can see why that day made you happy." I say thoughtfully.

"Well, I knew that goat would be a little gold mine." She tells me and I roll my eyes. She's such a bad liar.

"Yes, of course I was referring to that, not the lasting joy you gave the sister you love so much you took her place in the reaping," I say drily.

"The goat _has _paid for itself. Several time over." She says as if I was a 5-year-old and she was scolding me. I glare slightly, but my head is so jumbled it's hard to concentrate.

"Well, it wouldn't dare do anything else after you saved its life. And I intend to do the same thing." I tell her honestly. You could have finished these games if it weren't for me.

"Really? What did you cost me again?" She asks, annoyance seeping in slowly.

"A lot of trouble. Don't worry. You'll get it all back." I'm confusing myself as I speak but I hope she understands.

"You're not making sense." She tells me pressing her hand to my forehead. Her hand is so cold. "You're a little cooler though." She says brightly. Such a bad liar. Trumpets sound and Katniss leaps up running to the cave entrance. He's telling us of a feast. Katniss almost comes back in but then she hears Claudius say something about needing something desperately. I lean forward a little to hear better.

"Each of you will find that something in a backpack, marked with your district number, at the Cornucopia at dawn. Think hard about refusing to show up. For some of you this will be your last chance." _My last chance. He means Peeta's last chance._ I think to myself. I pull myself over to her and stand on my good leg. I grab her shoulder and she jumps.

"No, you're not risking your life for me." I growl at her.

"Who said I was going?" she asks innocently. I glare at her.

"So, you're not going?" I ask skeptically.

"Of course, I'm not going! Give me some credit. Do you think I'm running into some free-for-all against Cato and Clove and Thresh? Don't be stupid!" She pushes me towards the bed, helping me down. "I'll let them fight it out, we'll see who's in the sky tomorrow night and work out a plan from there." She mumbles at me, but I can see the gears turning in her head.

"You such a _bad _liar, Katniss! I don't know how you've survived this long!" I start mimicking her. "_I knew that goat would be a little gold mine. You're a little cooler though. Of course, I'm not going!_" I shake my head. "Never gamble at cards. You'll lose your last coin." Her face flushes with anger.

"All right, I'm going, and you can't stop me!" She snaps.

"I can follow you. At least partway. I may not make it to the Cornucopia, but if I'm yelling your name, I bet someone can find me. And then I'll be dead for sure!" I really don't know if I mean it. If I would really put her in that much danger. But it seems my mind isn't really _mine._

"You won't get a hundred yards from here on that leg." She tells me, crossing her arms.

"Then I'll drag myself. You go and I'm going to." I spit at her. She seems to believe me, because she contemplates something.

"What am I supposed to do? Sit here and watch you die?" She asks, choking on her words a little. I lean over and put a hand on her shoulder, which she shakes of instantly.

"I won't die. I promise. If you promise not to go." I tell her.

"Then you have to do what I say. Drink your water, wake me when I tell you, and eat every bite of the soup no matter how disgusting it is!" She snaps at me.

"Agreed. Is it ready?" I say coolly. She is so trying to find a way to go to that feast. But if I comply maybe she won't have too.

"Wait here." Like I'm going anywhere! She brings in the pot that the broth came in and sets in in front of me. I eat without complaining, scraping the pot out to show how good it was. It really wasn't good though, to me. If I wasn't sick, and trying to refuse every bit of food that comes near me, that is. I ramble about how good it was, and I mumble other things I don't even remember. I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. She gives me pills, though they haven't been helping at all.

She walks out to go clean up. I just lean my head back and watch as the cave spins. I don't know how much longer I can do this, fake being ok. I blink fiercely trying to make it all stay still. But it doesn't work. Then Katniss walks in a smile on her face, holding the pot.

"I've brought you a treat. I found a new patch of berries a little farther downstream." She tells me and I open my mouth. She puts a spoonful in and I frown when it hits my tongue.

"They're very sweet." I say. I might make tons of things in the bakery, but surprisingly I don't like overly sweet things. But I promised Katniss I would eat whatever she wanted me to.

"Yes, there sugar berries. My mother makes jam from them. Haven't you heard of them before?" She says making me eat another spoonful. I shake my head slightly.

"No, but they taste familiar. Sugar berries?" I ask again.

"Well, you can't get them in the market much, they only grow wild." She says forcing another mouthful.

"They're sweet as syrup." I say, taking the last spoonful. My eyes widen. "Syrup." She clamps her hand over my mouth so I have to swallow. Damnit! Just damn it! I try to throw them up, but I'm already woozy. I look at her distrust plain on my face. I trusted her not to do this, my one wish! I fall back against the wall, eyes fluttering closed.

All I see is Katniss in the blackness that she forced me into. I can hear her laughter and I hear her tell me something.

"Who can't lie, Peeta?"


	18. The birds went Silent

18

I jolt up, finally the sleeping syrup wore off. I look down at my arm; a needle is plunged into it. I set my hand down, and something sticky and warms meets it. I look over and see Katniss, lying in a pool of blood. I stare wide eyed for a moment then I get to work. She's blacked out, from blood loss defiantly, and blood still drips from the cut on her head.

"Katniss?" I ask. I press my hand lightly on her stomach, checking that she was breathing. It was shallow and quick. That's not good, I think. I move around a little and get bandages for her. I take some gauze and wipe her forehead with water so it wasn't matted with blood, then quickly I wrapped the bandage around her head. I have to wrap it a few times so it doesn't instantly seep with blood. I take the gauze Katniss removed from my leg yesterday, and clean the blood that's pooled around her. It scares me, because if she saved me, and then died… Let's just say I really wouldn't be the one winning these Games.

I throw the bloodied gauze into the corner of the cave. I gently pull Katniss closer to me, resting her head on my lap. I pull the sleeping bag around her shoulders. She sighs, content and snuggles happily in to the sleeping bag. I gently stroke her face and see how damp her shoes are, so I quickly remove them, throwing them into a corner and I keep talking to her.

"Just sleep Katniss, wake up when you're better, ok?" Water drips onto her forehead. I build a little canopy over her, trying to make this as comfortable as I could. But I don't know how to take care of someone in a coma.

Hours pass, I just keep talking to her and watching her for any sign she's waking up. The night before I saw Clove's face in the sky. I wonder if Katniss is the one that did it.

I realize how hungry I am and I eat 3 pieces of that bird Katniss offered me. I see how there isn't much food in the cave, so I stop eating though I'm still hungry. I sip some water, and when I look at my leg, I see that the swelling has gone down, the skin doesn't shine, and red streaks aren't climbing up it. Katniss twitches slightly. I stroke her face gently, speaking quietly to her.

"Katniss? Katniss can you hear me?" Her eyes open, and she looks like a frightened animal. She's looking at the ceiling, and I move so she sees me. She looks afraid at first, and then happiness fills her eyes.

"Peeta."

"Hey," I say with a small smile of relief. "Good to see your eyes again." I tell her.

"How long have I been out?" She asks with a raw voice.

"Not sure. I woke up yesterday evening and you were lying next to me in a very scary pool of blood." I look at the bandage on her head. "I think it's stopped finally, but I wouldn't sit up or anything." She lifts her hand, touching the bandage lightly. She looks woozy, so I hold to water bottle to her lips, letting her drink.

"Your better." She tells me.

"Much better. Whatever you shot into my arm did the trick. By this morning, almost all the swelling in my leg was gone." I tell her in a light tone. I'm still mad she forced me to eat those berries, but she's just so little and innocent…I can't be mad at her.

"Did you eat?" She asks and I give an embarrassed smile.

"I'm sorry to say I gobbled down 3 pieces of that groosling before I realized it might have to last a while. Don't worry, I'm back on a strict diet." I tell her

"No it's good. You need to eat. I'll go hunting soon." I shake my head.

"Not too soon, all right? You just let me take care of _you_ for a while." I feed her pieces of groosling and some raisins too. I force her to drink a ton of water, and I rub her feet, helping them get more circulation. I rap them into my jacket, and cover her again with the sleeping bag. I tell her that her boots and sock are still damp.

"The weather isn't helping much." I say with a shrug. Lightning flashes quickly, and Katniss seems to notice the little shelter over her.

"I wonder what brought on this storm? I mean, who's the target?" I ask her.

"Cato and Thresh. Foxface will be in her den somewhere and Clove…she cut me and then…" Her voice trails off slowly.

"I know Clove's dead. I saw her in the sky last night." I look over to her. "Did you kill her?"

"No, Thresh broke her skull in with a rock." I shudder at the thought.

"Lucky he didn't catch you too." I say, thinking of that. If I woke up and she wasn't there, and to see her face in the sky. I shake my head, _don't think that dumbass_, I think.

"He did. But he let me go." And then she explains everything I missed. About the explosion I heard, and about Rue. How she couldn't hear out of her left ear, and how Marvel was her first kill. How Thresh let her go, so he would be debt free.

A debt. That's why he spared the love of my life. Thank God for Rue.

"He let you go because he didn't want to owe you anything?" The concept is just so strange. In town, if you do a debt to someone, they forget. They don't remember either because they don't care, or they don't need to.

"Yes. I don't expect you to under stand it. You've always had enough. But if you lived in the Seam, I wouldn't have to explain." But what I heard was '_If you were Gale I wouldn't have to explain.'_

"And don't try. Obviously I'm too dim to get it." I scoff at her lightly.

"It's like the bread. How I never seem to get over owing you for that." She says with sad eyes. Really? The _bread?_ You have _got _to be kidding me.

"The bread? What? From when we were kids?" I say. "I think we can let that go. I mean, you just brought me back from the _dead!_"

"But you didn't know me. We had _never _even spoken. Besides, it's the first gift that's always hardest to pay back. I wouldn't even have been here to do it if you hadn't helped me then." She looks up at me. "Why did you anyway?" Again, are you _kidding_ me? Come on! She is so blind, the Capitol needs to fix that. Badly.

"Why? You know why," She shakes her head. I sigh. "Haymitch said you would take a lot of convincing." Well not exactly, but I keep hearing his voice in the back of my head**. **_Sure boy, but just remember. She's not looking. _

"Haymitch? What's he got to do with it?" She asks me. I shake my head, waving her off.

"Nothing…so Cato and Thresh, huh? I guess it's too much to hope that they'll simultaneously destroy each other?" I ask, a little hopeful. But Katniss just becomes upset.

"I think we would like Thresh. I think he'd be our friend back in District 12." She tells me. I think she means, _'He'd be Gale and I's friend, but you wouldn't mind him.'_

"Then let's hope Cato kills him, so we don't have to," I tell her grimly. But the thought isn't pleasant. Not at all. Katniss looks sick, and tears well in her eyes.

"What is it? Are you in a lot of pain?" I ask concern welling into my voice. She looks up at me with the same eyes from 6 years ago. Those eyes so full of sadness and hatred and…debt.

"I want to go home, Peeta." She sounds like a child. I brush her hair back from her eyes.

"You will. I promise." I lean over kissing her. I hope she doesn't hear how I said _you _will, not _we_ will.

"I want to go home _now."_ She whimpers.

"Tell you what. You go back to sleep and dream of home. And you'll be there for real before you know it. Okay?" I tell her using the voice I use when compromising with kids. I baby sat a lot when I was back home. People loved it because, I just couldn't be mean to a kid, but I was normally fair.

"Okay, wake me if you need me to keep watch." She whispers, her eyes slowly fluttering shut.

"I'm good and rested, thanks to you and Haymitch. Besides, who knows how long this will last." She'll think I mean the Games. But what I mean is the downpour that is keeping her so close to me. She snuggles down, huddling close to me for warmth. I stroke her face again slowly, watching her.

I hear the rain pound faster and harder, spilling into the cave. I gently move away from Katniss and grab the iron pot. I stand wincing, not because I haven't stood up in a while.

It hurt because it was still injured. I saw the cut, defiantly better but not healed in anyway. It still needed cleaning, sterile bandage, the whole nine yards. I'll have to fool Katniss though. And the blood poisoning _is_ better. I shake my head and get back to work.

I stick the pot under the worst hole that was spilling in. I move my little canopy over Katniss, deflecting the water from her. I grab her bags and pull them over to me, looking to see what food we have left. Not much is all I can say. I push the food away, not to be tempted to eat.

I clean the cave a little as I let Katniss sleep. Throwing gauze into a neat pile, pulling her shoes over, closer to us, covering the socks near us so they dry. I put a water bottle that's getting low under a hole so it fills. Then I decided to fill the others as well, needing to occupy myself. I can't do this, I need something to do.

So I think like I did the night before the games. What needs to be done at the bakery. By slightly light outside, maybe it's around 2 or 3? Sense it raining anyone who can afford it wants something hardy. Or maybe it isn't rainy there? Who knows? But if it is, fresh bread would be wanted. Raisin and wheat would be the most wanted, but if they had small kids, and could afford it-or if I felt really bad, then they'd get white. Also Mother would need new cakes done soon, I think at least. A vanilla and a berry if we could get some. Maybe chocolate if I feel like slaving over the stove for a few hours. And if Katniss wouldn't mind heading out to go get the supplies from the woods…

I wake up a few hours later. Whoops, I think I was supposed to stay up that whole time. My stomach growls hungrily, and I take a sip of water trying to quiet it. It of course doesn't work but I don't want to eat before Katniss is up. So I just sit there watching the rain pound down.

I can't do this for much longer before I'm gently shaking her awake. She sits slowly, not to get to dizzy, and I can tell she's hungry. I try not to show how long I've been waiting, but when she asks if I want to eat, she's barely finishes the sentence before I almost shout out 'yes.'

She shows me the food that I already saw, and I look to her.

"Should we try and ration it?" I ask her. She shakes her head.

"No, let's just finish it. The groosling's getting old anyway, and the last thing we need it getting sick off spoiled food," She tells me spitting the pile evenly. We eat in silence, slowly at first but soon shoving all the food we can down our throats. When she doesn't pay attention I push more of my food at her. She never notices, but when we finish I almost wish I'd taken some of her food. I'm still starved.

"Tomorrow's a hunting day." She says, her stomach growling.

"I won't be much help with that. I've never hunted before." I tell her, but I think she knows that.

"I'll kill and you cook." She tells me with a smile. "And you can always gather."

"I wish there was some kind of bread bush out there." I say, only sort of joking.

"The bread they sent me from District 11 was still warm." She says quietly, and then sighs. She must still be hungry even if I gave her some of mine. "Here chew these." She says handing me some leaves, then popping them into her mouth. I did the same and mint filled my mouth. It tasted like the mint frosted cookies at the bakery. But a lot more mint, and I wonder why we're chewing them.

"Where did Thresh go? I mean, what's on the far side of the circle?" She asks, filling the silence.

"A field. As far as you can see it's full of grasses as high as my shoulder. I don't know, maybe some of them are grain. There are patches of different colors. But there are no paths." I tell her, and I try to imagine Katniss running in the field, and I would kill her if she did. In that field, the grass almost taller then me, she would be eaten by something, I just know it!

"I bet some of them are grain. I bet Thresh knows which ones, too." Katniss says. "Did you go in there?" She asks.

"No. Nobody really wanted to track Thresh down in that grass. It has a sinister feeling to it. Every time I look at that field, all I can think of are hidden things. Snakes, and rabid animals, and quicksand. There could be anything in there." Katniss wouldn't care though. She goes into the woods daily, running back and forth, already supporting a family. Her eyes flash a familiar gleam, that I've only seen when she's with Gale. She's thinking of him out here, were I'm her only companion. How different are we, how much am I to her? Better, worse, or am I the same in her mind. Someone you live with and live through.

"Maybe there _is_ a bread bush in that field. Maybe that's why Thresh looks better fed now than when we started the Games." She says to me. I wish a bread bush really existed. I would know everything that no one should know about bread.

"Either that or he's got very generous sponsors. I wonder what we'd have to do to get Haymitch to send us some bread." I ask her, and her eyebrows rise. I tilt my head slightly, what did she know? Haymitch probably found a way to talk to her, in this jumbled mess. I just let it pass, though, letting her snuggle up to me a little more. A new gleam came over her eyes, it was something I hadn't seen before. It was filled with mischief. She takes my hand lightly.

"Well, he probably used up a lot of resources helping me knock you out." She says with the same tone. I entwine my fingers in hers.

"Yeah, about that. Don't try something like that again." I tell her.

"Or what." She mocks me.

"Or…or…" I have nothing. "Just give me a minute." I ponder the thought.

"What's the problem?" She says with a grin.

"The problem is we're both still alive. Which only reinforces the idea in your mind that you did the right thing," I tell her. And if she thinks that risking her life is ok, well we need to talk.

"I _did_ do the right thing." She tells me. We really need to talk.

"No!" I say more anger filling into my voice. My hands tighten quickly on her hands. "Just don't, Katniss! Don't die for me. You won't be doing me any favors. All right?" I plead with her. Her eyes are locked with mine.

"Maybe I did it for myself, Peeta, did you ever think of that? Maybe you aren't the only one who…who worries about…what it would be like if…" She fumbles out. Her eyes are pleading at me. She struggles to find the words.

"If what, Katniss." I ask softly, letting my glare and all anger fade away. She lets out a flustered sigh.

"That's exactly the kind of topic Haymitch told me to steer clear of." She says with quiet evasion. But I know her, how she works. She doesn't want Panem to hear her, whatever she wants to say.

"Then I'll just have to fill in the blanks myself." I say, close to a whisper. I lean into her pressing my lips to hers. This was the first kiss I started, and the first that felt right. I though the other kisses were amazing, but this…wow. My lips weren't burning hot, or hers ice cold. My heart well in my chest, warm runs to my lips. I want to just live in this moment, this kiss. But I can't. I pull away to breath, and see that her cut has started bleeding again.

I kiss the tip of her nose lightly.

"I think your wound is bleeding again. Come on, lie down, it's bedtime anyway." Katniss sits up, pulling on her socks, forcing my jacket back on me. I haven't been that cold, but I do realize it is cold. I was just to numb to feel it. She also pushes that she takes 1st watch. I only agree if she gets in the sleeping bag with me. She's shivering so badly, she agrees quickly. We both get settled in, I lay down. I pull Katniss's head down, resting it on my arm, and I move my other arm covering her protectively.

I'm trying to make up for being no protection, no help at all. I hold her carefully, making sure I have her safely in my arms. I fall asleep almost instantly, Katniss my only thought.

Katniss wakes me 4 hours later, looking like she'll pass out. I take watch without minding. She mumbles something to me before she drifts off but I don't hear it. The rain seemed to get harder and faster, as the day passed.

Katniss wakes around noon, and I offer to go out looking for food. She tells me it'd be a wasted effort so we stay in the cave. My stomach feels like it decided to eat me. Katniss's cut reopens twice, and my leg hurts more and more as the day goes on. Haymitch, like the jackass he is, doesn't give us any food. We just lay around and nap together in the sleeping bag. Randomly Katniss pipes up asking,

"Peeta? You said in your interview you'd had a crush on me forever. When did forever start?" Such a random and strange question, but I answer back truthfully.

"Oh, let's see. I guess the first day of school. We were five. You had on a red plaid dress and your hair…it was in 2 braids instead of one. My father pointed you out when we were waiting to line up."

"Your father? Why?" She asks.

"He said, 'See that little girl? I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner.'" I tell her.

"What? You're making that up!" She squeals out.

"No, true story. And I said, 'A coal miner? Why did she want a coal miner if she could've had you?' And he said, 'Because when he sings…even the birds stop to listen." I tell her gently.

"That's true, they do. I mean, they did." She seems touched by something.

"So that day, in music assembly, the teacher asked who knew the valley song. Your hand shot right up in the air. She stood you up on a stool and had you sing it for us. And I swear, every bird outside the windows fell silent." I say soothingly.

"Oh, please!" She says through her laughter.

"No, it happened. And right when your song ended, I knew- just like your mother- I was a goner. Then for the next eleven years, I tried to work up the nerve to talk to you."

"Without success." She adds.

"Without success. So in a way, my name being drawn in the reaping was a real piece of luck." For a moment, she looks like a girl foolishly in love. But then confusion sweeps over her, hard and fast. It seems strange how much I remember of her. But, I wanted her always. At first as a friend, then a best friend, and soon my love.

"You have a…remarkable memory." She says haltingly. I grasp a stand of hair between my fingers.

"I remember everything about you," I say tucking the hair behind her ear. "You're the one who wasn't paying attention.

"I am now." She says, and I believe her. Maybe she really loves me.

"Well, I don't have much competition here." I say. Katniss stares up at me, and leans a little closer. Swallowing hard she whispers.

"You don't have much competition anywhere." And I swear I almost yell out, 'Ha Gale, take that!' but I don't as she leans in to kiss me.

Our lips barely touch when a clunk outside makes Katniss jumps up. Bow poised and I stand on my knees, rock in hand. I move a little closer, peering out into the rain. I give a loud whoop when I see what it was. I was in the rain, grabbing the basket with a silver parachute attached. I bring it in, letting Katniss rip into it. As feast waits us- rolls, goat cheese, apples, and that lamb stew Katniss loves. I squeeze back in and smile brightly.

"I guess Haymitch finally got tired of watching us starve."

"I guess so." Katniss says, but I just know she's hiding something from me.  
>And I'm going to find out what it is.<p>

**(Ok so I'm really sorry this took me so long! I was sick and I really had a hard time writing this chapter for some reason. But its up! YAY! But for any of you that are Furubas (Fruits Basket-Anime) Fans then I'll be coming out with 2 new Kyo fanfics. One based off the song Traveling Soldier and the other based of a dream. Hope you at least look! If you've never heard of them search it its really good! KYO FOREVER!) Primrose K. Mellark**


	19. We'll say it's my leg

19

**(I own nothing…sadly)**

Katniss's eyes look like a savage beast that hasn't seen food in weeks. She leans over it hands forward ready to grab the food. I lightly tug the basket away from her.

"We better take it slow on the stew. Remember the first night on the train? The rich food made me sick and I wasn't starving then." I've said it before and I'll say it again. I hate rich food. But I live in the bakery and I have to eat/taste a lot of the food from there which is so rich…I shudder thinking of it. But I have trained myself to keep it down.

"You're right. And I could just inhale the whole thing!" She says regretfully. I make sure she doesn't. I give her a role, we split an apple, an egg sized portion of stew and rice. WE eat slowly, trying not to shove it all down our throats. It's hard to not eat fast when you're starving. Katniss stares at the stew when she's done.

"I want more." She whimpers.

"Me, too. Tell you what. We wait an hour, if it stays down, then we get another serving." I say, and she nods a little.

"Agreed. It's going to be a long hour." She says.

"Maybe not that long. What was that you were saying just before the food arrived? Something about me…no competition…best thing that ever happened to you…" I say trailing slightly. She blushes a deep pink, waving that off.

"I don't remember that last part." She says.

"Oh, that's right." I say, and it sounds like a cheesy pick up line. A cheesy line, but so true. "That's what I was thinking. Scoot over, I'm freezing." She makes room, and I squeeze in, wrapping my arms around her and her head resting on my shoulder.

"So, since we were five, you never even noticed any other girls?" She asks, and I'm going to pretend that I hear jealousy.

"No, I noticed just about every other girl, but none of them made a lasting impression but you." I actually had, had a few girl friends back at home. I'd dated a Delly at one point, a few merchant girls, and most recently, a year or 2 back, Madge, the mayors daughter. She was sweet, but very quiet and we decide evenly that I was better if we stayed friends.

"I'm sure that would thrill your parents, you liking a girl from the Seam." She says and I shrug.

"Hardly. But I could care less. Anyway, if we make it back, you won't be a girl from the Seam, you'll be a girl from the Victor's Village." I remind her. Victor's Village, the only place better than the justice building. She nods, but then shudders.

"But then out only neighbor will be Haymitch!" She almost shrieks. I chuckle quietly.

"Ah, that'll be nice," I say tightening my arms around her. "You and me and Haymitch. Very cozy. Picnics, birthdays, long winter nights around the fire retelling old Hunger Games tales." I say smiling at her.

"I told you, he hates me!" She almost yells again, but then just starts giggling.

"Only sometimes. When he's sober, I've never heard him say one negative thing about you." I say trying to comfort her.

"He's _never _sober!" She protests.

"That's right. Who and I thinking of? Oh, I know. It's Cinna who likes you. But that's mainly because you didn't try to run when he set you on fire." Oh how I miss Portia. "On the other hand, Haymitch…well, if I were you, I'd avoid Haymitch completely. He hates you." I tell her jokingly.

"I thought you said I was his favorite." She says.

"He hate's me more," I remind her. "I don't think people in general are his sort of thing." We both laugh at Haymitch but I think of Portia again. I remember how she had cried when I left. How she clung to me, and how I wished she was my mother. I sigh quietly and I hope that we really can make it home. Katniss smiles slightly and she stares off into space. I wonder what she's thinking, but hse never speaks, just stares off.

"How do you think he did it?" She asks randomly. I look quizzically at her.

"Who? Did what?" I ask cocking my head.

"Haymitch. How do you think he won the Games?" She says. I lean back on the wall and think. I don't think I've ever seen his Game, not completely through at least. But I do know that Haymitch was in the 50th Game, the second quarter quarrel. He was with one of his district partners, the quarrel added an extra boy and girl to the Games I think, and at one point they separated. She was killed and he was almost killed, but he somehow used the Gamemaker's ignorance to win.

"He outsmarted the others," I tell her. She just nods dropping the conversation as easily as she picked it up. She just leans on me, thinking about who knows what. Half an hour passes and Katniss can't wait any longer to eat. I don't argue, being to hungry myself. She starts dishing up more food when the anthem plays. I peek out the crack, seeing if there's anything. My eyes widen at what I see.

"There won't be anything to see tonight. Nothing's happened or we would've heard a cannon." She says to me but she's so wrong.

"Katniss," I say just a little louder than a whisper.

"What? Should we split another roll, too?" She asks not understanding.

"Katniss." I repeat, but she must know what I'm saying isn't good. She just ignores me.

"I'm going to split one. But I'll save the cheese for tomorrow." I turn from my spot staring at her.

"What." She asks finally caring about what I'm saying.

"Thresh is dead." I tell her. Her eyes widen as I say it, but she shakes her head.

"He can't be,"

"They must have fired the cannon during the thunder and we missed it." I tell her.

"Are you sure? I mean it's pouring buckets out there. I don't know how you can see anything." She says, pushing me out of the way. She squints out into the darkness, seeing the distorted picture of Thresh. She slumps back against the rocks, her eyes glossed over. She doesn't look up, doesn't move. Just slumps there, looking about ready to cry.

"You all right." I ask even though I know she isn't. She shrugs and leans against her hand carelessly.

"It's just…if we didn't win…I wanted Thresh to. Because he let me go. And because of Rue." She says, worry crossing her face.

"Yeah, I know." I say picking up a bowl of food and handing it to her. "But this means we're one step closer to District 12. Eat. It's still warm." And she tries to eat a spoonful, but it looks hard for her. I feel horrible, and I have to give a point to Gale, because he would know how to comfort her.

"It also means Cato will be back hunting us." She says, staring at the food.

"And he's got supplies again," I say, but I have no idea how much Thresh would really have on him.

"He's wounded, I bet," She says.

"What makes you say that?" I ask.

"Because Thresh would have never gone down without a fight. He's so strong, I mean, he was. And they were in his territory." She tells me.

"Good, the more wounded Cato is the better. I wonder how Foxface is making out." I push remember how she told me of her trips to the Career's camp.

"Oh, she's fine." She grumbles. "Probably be easier to catch Cato than her."

"Maybe they'll catch each other and we can just go home. But we better be extra careful about the watches. I dozed off a few times." I tell her with a shy smile.

"Me too," she admits, "But not tonight."

We finish eating and I make sure I get first watch sense Katniss looks ready to sob. We both get into the sleeping bag, and she pulls up her hood, facing my chest. I wrap an arm around her, propping myself up on the other. She falls asleep after a moment and I promise her one thing. I will find a way to remember District 11.

Katniss sleeps easily and never budges. But at a point she starts talking in her sleep. Well more mumbling, but I still listen closely. She says Thresh and Rue's names a few times, says Cato's with a shudder, Foxface's like she's the devil. Then she says something that shocks me before going silent.

"Peeta…the boy…with the…bread…" Then she snuggles closer to me. The boy with the bread? Is that what she calls me? Huh, I smile to myself. Gale, 1, Peeta, 2.

I wake her later holding out a half of a role that has goat cheese and a slice of apple on it. She looks at it tiredly.

"Don't be mad," I say. "I had to eat again. Here's your half."

"Oh good." She says taking a huge bite. It probably taste like the cheese her sister makes. I think the cheese we use in the bakery is bought from her, but I could be wrong.

"We make a goat cheese and apple tart at the bakery." I say as I see how much she likes the taste. I tell her, only that when we get back she can head in and get some.

"Bet that's expensive." She says. I yawn and nod.

"Too expensive for my family to eat. Unless it's gone very stale. Of course, practically everything we eat is stale." I tell her with a shrug. I pull the sleeping bag a little tighter around me and I wrap my arms around Katniss, falling asleep with ease.

Katniss wake we with worried eyes. I look up at her sleepily, but she doesn't seem to be afraid. So I pull her down, kissing her. It's one of our longer kisses, but when she pull back, she gives me a half scowl and a half smile.

"We're wasting hunting time," she says.

"I wouldn't call it wasting." I remind her, stretching as I sit up. "So do we hunt on empty stomachs to give us an edge?" I ask sense I have no idea how to hunt.

"Not us. We stuff ourselves giving us staying power." She says.

"Count me in." I say but I'm surprised when she splits the remaining stew into two plates. She tells me we'll earn it all back today. We eat hungrily and at one point Katniss fingers the remaining gravy licking it off her fingertips.

"I can feel Effie Trinket shuddering at my manners." She says with a smile.

"Hey Effie watch this!" I say. I toss my fork behind my back and then lick my plate clean. I make strange, and loud, satisfied noises. Once I finished that I blow a kiss out to we're I believe a camera would be and call out, "We miss you, Effie!"

Katniss starts laughing, but covers my mouth with her hand. "Stop! Cato could be right outside our cave!" She says through her giggling. I pull her hand off holding it mine.

"What do I care? I've got you to protect me now." I say pulling her closer to me, kissing her.

"Come on," She says rolling her eyes and sighing with a small smile. Before she gets too far I kiss her once more. We pack, her having to push me to work, and we head outside the cave. I haven't been outside in days and the brightness startles me. We both become instantly serious outside of the safety of the cave. Katniss hand's me her knife, and I have to say its nice to have a weapon again. I lost my knife when I was under the tree.

"He'll be hunting us by now. Cato isn't one to wait for his prey to wander by." I remember the first night, he had wanted to go out, not to see the arena. No, to hunt the people in it.

"If he's wounded-" She tries but I stop her.

"It wont matter, if he can move, he's coming." I warn her, and I know it's true. The streams have become rivers, and though she checks all her snares, we find nothing. But with all the rain it's not a surprise.

"If we want food, we better head back up to my old hunting grounds." She tells me and I nod.

"Your call. Just tell me what you need me to do." I tell her.

"Keep an eye out, stay on the rocks as much as possible, no sense in leaving him tracks to follow. And listen for both of us." Apparently her hearing wasn't coming back. We walk along the stream, or river, and we pass were I had concealed myself. You can' even tell I had been there 5 days. I only know it's my spot because of the berry bush next to it. We have to clamber over some rocks, and then were on pine needles. My leg kills, and I'm limping still but I try to hide it best I can. Katniss turns to look at me.

"What?" I ask.

"You've got to move more quietly. Forget about Cato, you're chasing off every rabbit in a ten-mile radius." She tells me and I'm slightly shocked. I knew this was a bad idea.

"Really? Sorry, I didn't know." I say and I try to mimic her tread. It's hard though sense she's not limping and hasn't been in the woods more than twice in her life. I can tell this isn't working.

"Can you take off your boots?" she asks me and I stare at her shocked.

"Here?" Ok, Gale gets a point. He would do this without any fight, but all I think of is t=hat they say is lurking out in the woods back home. Deadly snakes, rabid animals, anything that could bite my bare feet.

"Yes, I will too. That way we'll both be quieter." Like she's making any noise. We strip our boots and socks. We walk for a few hours and I can tell, limping isn't the only reason I'm loud. I don't know where to put my feet. I try to follow her carefully, but I just don't step in the spot correctly or something. We get to were Katniss wants and I turn to her.

"Katniss, we need to split up. I know I'm chasing away the game." I tell her, and I know she'll try to deny it.

"Only because your leg's hurt." Yep, I'm just that awesome that I saw the lie before she even said it.

"I know," I say humoring her, because she must know as well as me that's not the only problem. "So, why don't you go on? Show me some plants to gather and that way we'll both be useful." Because a man gathers berries while his girl hunts…oh _god_!

"Not if Cato comes and kills you." Through the venom I remember slightly getting a few good punches in on him, before he cut my leg. I laugh at her worried voice though.

"Look, I can handle Cato. I fought him before, didn't I?" And I can tell she thinks that turned out well.

"What if you climbed a tree and acted as look out while I hunted?" Ok first off, I can barely walk around, you except me to climb a freaking tree? Yep, sure, lets see how quiet I am with that. Second I'm slightly afraid of heights. Not a lot but enough that if I was in that tree, it would not end well.

"What if you show me what's edible around her and go get us some meat." I say mimicking her tone with an overly bright smile. Just don't go far, in case you need help." I can hear Gale's laughter.

Sighing she shows me some roots to dig up. She seems to realize we need food, a little more than we need me. She teaches a little 2 note whistle so she knows I'm safe and she reluctantly walks off. I start digging up roots and every 5 minutes I send a signal back to her. I gather a few large roots and I think I see some berries down by the river. I think they look like the 'sweet berries', so I head down there quietly. I gather a hand full or two and head back, pulling out a sheet of plastic laying the berries out. I head back down to get a few more.

"Peeta?" I can her Katniss call, "Peeta!" her voice is full of panic. I head back as quick as I can with out killing myself. When I get back to my original place, I'm greeted by an arrow hitting the oak tree next to me. I jump back throwing the berries as I do.

"What are you doing!" She shouts sounding angry but I can see in her eyes she was scared. I'll need to remember that, when she does something as a random out burst check if its fear. "You're supposed to be here, not running around in the woods!"

"I found some berries down by the stream." I tell her and I don't understand why she was so scared.

"I whistled! Why didn't you whistle back!" she snaps at me.

"I didn't hear. The waters to loud I guess." She's trembling. I cross the little clearing and rest my hands on her shoulders.

"I thought Cato killed you!" She shrieks. I wrap my arms around her.

"No, I'm fine." She doesn't respond. "Katniss?"

"If two people agree on a signal, they stay in range. Because if one of them doesn't answer, they're in trouble, alright?" She says pushing away from me.

"All right," I snap back.

"All right. Because that's what happened with Rue, and I watched her die!" She growls. She pulls out a new water bottle, turning her back to me. I sigh rubbing my hand across my face. I hate fighting, I hate arguments. That makes no sense, sense my house is a basic war zone, but I still hate it.

"And you ate without me!" she yells at me, but I think she's just trying to find something to use her anger on.

"What? No I didn't." I tell her.

"Oh, and I suppose the apple ate the cheese." She mocks.

"I don't know what ate the cheese." I say slowly trying not to scream at her. If this was my house, me and my mother would be having a full blown war. Screaming, punching, and clawing at each other. In the end I'd be in my room, nursing my wounds and Mother would be downstairs triumphant. "but it wasn't me. I've been down by the stream collecting berries. Would you care for some?" I ask her. She doesn't answer, just walks over and looks at them. She rolls one in her fingertips. And then the cannon fires. Katniss whips around, staring at me, but I only raise my eyebrows at her. A hundred or so yards away, Foxface is lifted into the air by a hovercraft. I grab Katniss's arm, pushing her to a tree.

"Climb he'll be here in a second. We'll stand a better chance fighting him from above." But she's very calm as she gently pushes me off. I stare at her.

"No, Peeta, she's your kill, not Cato's." I just stare at her shocked.

"What? I haven't even seen her since the first day! How could I have killed her?" I say worried. But all she does is hold out the berries.

**(So yep that's that! Yay! I'm so slow, I feel horrible. This would have been out sooner but I was… Ok I didn't really feel like working on it, I've been lazy. I sorry. Forgive me? *Gets Peeta to make cookies for everyone.* Too get a cookie you must review though. It was funny though me and my friend Eli have been gossiping about THG and he's like 'she really was stupid' I'm like 'not really, she thought Peeta was eating them to so she thought they were safe.' He's shakes his head 'no I mean Katniss, like really, you expect Peeta to stay in one place with her hunting? He has to go be manily, like go pick berries' …. Eli is my new best friend! So yeah and when me and my mom get a dog if it's a girl her names going to be Primrose 3 So exsited! I wanted to name is Finnick or Cato or Peeta if it's a guy, but mom says most likely not. FINNICK WILL BE MINE! HAHAHAHA! Any ways thanks guys by!)**


	20. She will be happy

20

It takes her a while to explain everything to me. How she stole the food from the Career's supplies, taking enough to live but not enough for anyone to notice there was any missing, and how she hadn't been worried about the berries because we had been planning to eat them as well.

"I wonder how she found us. My fault, I guess, if I'm as loud as you say." I say.

"And she's very clever, Peeta." She catches herself. "Well, she was. Until outfoxed her." She says with the smallest of smiles. She must still be mad at me.

"Not on purpose. Doesn't seem fair somehow. I mean, we would have been dead, too, if she hadn't eaten the berries first." My turn to correct myself. "No, of course, we wouldn't. You recognized them, didn't you?" She nods.

"We call them nightlock."

"Even the name sounds deadly. I'm sorry, Katniss, I thought they were the same ones you'd gathered." You could send me out to gather roses and I'd come back with tulips. I can mess up anything!

"Don't apologize. It just means we're one step closer to home, right?" She reminds me and I nod.

"I'll get rid of the rest." I say gathering the little sheet of plastic, careful to trap all the berries and walks a little farther into the woods.

"Wait!" She cries and I freeze instantly. She gets a leather pouch from our stuff, and puts a few handfuls of the berries inside. The bag looks like the one that Marvel carried with him. I had a feeling it was the same one. "If they fooled Foxface, maybe they could fool Cato as well. If he'd chasing us or something, we can act like we accidentally drop the pouch and if he eats them-"

"Then hello District Twelve." I say with a smile.

"That's it," She says smiling back, carefully attaching the pouch to her belt.

"He'll know where we are now. If he was anywhere nearby and saw that hovercraft, he'll know we killed her and come after us." I tell her. Cato, though not being the sharpest knife in the kitchen, could also think that she died from animal attack, or starvation.

"Let's make a fire. Right now." Katniss says, running around gathering branches and brush.

"Are you ready to face him?" I ask surprised, but I can't really argue. She had a bow, and he's somewhat full. And Cato, might be, injured.

"I'm ready to eat. Better to cook our food while we have the chance. If he knows were here, he knows. But he also knows there's two of us and probably assuming we _were_ hunting Foxface. That mean's you're recovered. And the fire means we're not hiding, were inviting him here. Would you show up?" Being I'm a total coward, no.

"Maybe not." I say instead. Katniss and I gather the wood, Katniss trying to find the driest of wood, but I don't bother. I just grab wood that isn't soaked and through it into a pile, and one we have enough light it slowly. After 5 or 10 minutes the fire's blazing, rabbits and squirrel were roasting, roots baking in the coals. I had to make the fires at home, which is why my hands are so covered in burns. We take turns gathering wood and watching for Cato. But like Katniss said, there was no sign of him.

She packs the food, leaving us both a leg of rabbit to eat as we walk. It was the first time I had had fresh, plane meat. We normally, for Mothers sake, covered the meat in seasonings and broths. But I actually liked the taste of the rabbit and ate hungrily. Katniss starts looking for a tee but I stop her.

"I can't climb like you, Katniss," _Gale can't either I bet. _"especially with my leg, and I don't think I could ever fall asleep fifty feet above the ground." I tell her not caring if I sounded weak.

"It's not safe to stay in the open, Peeta." She says with annoyance in her eyes.

"Can't we go back to the cave? It's near water and easy to defend." I have a feeling I'll have to fight, but if she argues with me about it I'll give in. I just hope she doesn't kick me out of the tree. She sighs and thinks about it. She stands on her toes and kisses me.

"Sure. Let's go back to the cave." She gives me a small 'please forgive me' smile. I wonder what she's sad about.

"Well, that was easy." I say as she turns, carefully pulling the arrow from the tree. We pile wood and brush onto the fire, letting it smoke and burn. We head back down to the river but it has gone back down into the stream. Katniss decides we should walk in it instead, and I follow her lead easily.

The walk back is long but much quieter. I make no sound, except for a swirl when I move in the water. And even though the trek is downward, by the time we make it to the cave, the tree sounded like a good idea. We fill water bottles, and I watch the gentle sunset a little as we trek up the little hill to our cave. When we get there Katniss commands me into the sleeping bag. She sets out food as I do and once I'm comfortable I instantly fall asleep.

Cato awaits me in my dreams. He holds up his sword, and aims it at my heart. I can feel someone, Katniss I think, hiding behind me shaking. I pull my knife out so I can have some weapon, and Katniss snatches it from me, throwing it at his heart. It hits with deadly aim, and he falls back to the grass. Katniss smiles at me and cheers, kissing me. Cinna and Portia appear randomly hugging us and congratulating us. But when Katniss comes back to me, Gale stands behind her. She hugs me again and I hug her back. But then the pain in my back starts. I pull away and I see Katniss hold her knife, which now drips with blood. I stare wide eyed, and everyone smiles back, but the smiles become smug hardened grins that remind me of the Careers.

Katniss pulls me close once more pressing the knife into my stomach, whispering to me.

"I choose him." And I let her drive the knife deeper, blood splattering her shirt, knowing that she'll be happy once I'm dead.

**(Hello to the creatures that view my story. So I have a plan once I get to the final chapter of this. I WONT post this until I get the first chapter of Catching Fire done as well cause then I can put a link to the Catching Fire story. But I have a question, what should I call the Catching story? Please help!)~Rue Finnick Mellark (had to change cause dogs gonna be names prim…. Be strange for me)**


	21. Gamemakers Creatures

21

Katniss shake me awake and I'm still afraid from that dream. I instantly see the grey light that is the morning, coming into the cave. I glare at Katniss, relieved that I have something to be angry about.

"I slept the whole night. That's not fair Katniss, you should have woken me." She snuggles down into the bag.

"I'll sleep now. Wake me if anything interesting happens." She says eyes fluttering shut.

But nothing does. I watch the sun crawl up the sky, listen to the bird call. Eat some of the food and watch Katniss. She wasn't vocal tonight, or should I say today and just slept quietly. She woke up around midafternoon.

"Any sign of our friend?" She asks and I shake my head.

"No, he's keeping a disturbingly low profile." I say.

"How long do you think we'll have before the Gamemakers drive us together?" I can't lie, I love how she talks of the games so easily, like we were back in our District watching.

"Well, Foxface died almost a day ago, so there's been plenty of time for the audience to place bets and get bored. I guess it could happen any moment." I say to her.

"Yeah, I have a feeling today's the day. I wonder how they'll do it." She says staring out on the arena. I stay silent though, for I have no answer. I think about it, maybe they'll send a mutt to us. Send a jabberjay with his voice on it so we run toward him, the fire balls…

"Well, until they do, no sense in wasting a hunting day. But we should probably eat as much as we can hold just in case we run into trouble." She says. I nod and start packing our gear together as she lays out the food. She hands the squirrel and the apple which I pack away carefully.

We eat everything in front of us. Like I always do I make sure she eats more, and again like always she doesn't notice. My hands are covered in grease when we finished eating and I wipe my hands on my shirt. And when we leave the cave, I don't think Katniss will be coming back to it. I won't, for I will fight Cato today, and if I end up alive or dead, Katniss will be back in the Capitol. We head back down to the steam, and again it's changed.

Not a single drop of waters in it. No sign there ever was water. Katniss leans over and presses her hand into the dry gravel. She tells me it's not even damp. Damn it. This is the Gamemakers, and I will either be in a hovercraft with Katniss or in a hovercraft that will take me to my deathbed. I try not to think about the blood poisoning. How water wasn't ever really needed, and I notice it still isn't. I've never been dehydrated. And it scares me.

"The lake. That's where they want us to go." I tell her.

"Maybe the ponds still have some." She says hopefully.

"We can check." But I only say it for her. Because I was right, the ponds are dry like they never existed.

"You're right. They're driving us to the lake." She says and I never thought I would love to hear those words. _You're right._ Well I'm entertained easily. "Do you want to go straight away or wait until the water's tapped out?" She asks but I just tell her we should go now while were full. She just nods. I wrap my arms around her, having strange feeling it might be my last.

"Two against one. Should be a piece of cake." I tell her.

"Next time we eat, it will be in the Capitol." She reminds me.

"You bet it will." Again I'm very careful not to say we. And we just stand there, locked in an embrace. I rest my head on hers and she rest her cheek on my chest. The trees rustle, the birds sing, the sun bounces off Katniss. I fell her loosen her arms and I do as well, not wanting to clutch to something that won't be mine.

We head off and she doesn't care about my footfalls. I think she hopes that Cato will hear my limp and come running. I'm the bait which slightly aggravates me.

We only rest once, and it's under the tree she dropped the tracker jackers on me. The nest still sits on the ground, a pulp of what it was once. She gently prods it with her foot, and it falls to pieces. She tells me to move on and we do. I hate the place because a few feet away I see the spot that Cato slashed me.

By the time we make it to the Cornucopia the sun is sinking in the sky. We walk obediently to the other side of the field, filling out water bottles.

"We don't want to fight him after dark. There's only the one pair of glasses." Which I will make sure she wears. I put the iodine into the water carefully.

"Maybe that's what he's waiting for. What do you want to do? GO back to the cave?" She won't walk all that way, just to do it again tomorrow.

"Either that or find a tree. But let's give him another half an hour or so. Then we'll take cover." She tells me. I hope he comes soon.

We go and sit by the lake in full view. The mockingjays trill tunes to each other. Katniss opens her mouth and the bird silence when they hear her 4 note tune. They all pause, curiously, and Katniss repeats the notes. One whistles it out, and then it seems the whole arena is filled with the sound.

"Just like your father." I say with a smile and the smallest shake to the head.

"That's Rue's song. I think they remember it." She says, and I have a vague memory that I've heard the tune before. The music blares around us, sounding like a orchestra. Katniss closes her eyes, gently rocking back and forth to the music. I watch her, but something starts to sound off. The voices rise and fall and eventually become an alarmed scream.

We both stand, my knife out and Katniss ready to shoot. Cato burst through the tree's loudly, rushing without any weapons. I stare as Katniss shoots the arrow at him and it just bounces off. Katniss shouts about him having armor but my blood pounds in my ears. Cato rushes, panting and sweating, right between us. His face is purple and he doesn't stop when he brushes past us. No he runs even faster. I look to were Cato burst out, and am afraid at what I see.

A creature jumps out, followed by another dozen or so. Katniss turns darting after Cato and I turn running as fast as I can following, making sure those things stay away from her.

**(Ok miss understanding time! So when I said I found out what I'm going to do when it comes to the catching fire thing' I meant once I finish this book. Then I'll do what I said. So yeah! :DDDD hope you enjoyed!)~Rue Finnick Mellark **


	22. Nightlock

22

Wolves. That what those muttations are based off of. These things, they look like wolves, but can a wolf land and balance on his back legs. The first wolf that ran in waves the others forward. I make sure Katniss is safely away from those _things_. She luckily is 15 yards ahead of me, follow Cato to the Cornucopia. I limp as fast as I can, and I really don't care if they catch me. They'll have fun torturing me; maybe Katniss can kill Cato before they get to her. Katniss's fingers brushed the Cornucopia, when she whips around, shooting an arrow at one of the mutts. I wave her up.

"Go, Katniss! Go!" I shout at her. She starts climbing instantly, and I look over my shoulder, only to see one of the wolves down and the others running quickly, closing in on me. I get to the tail of the horn and turn around and cry out. The wolves are on me. I can hear Katniss yelling at me to climb. I turn climbing up the screeching hot metal. I want to cry out again but, Katniss shoots arrows at the creatures, and once I'm at her, she grabs my arm hauling me up. I see Cato coughing and I hear him say something.

"What?" She shouts over the snapping jaws of the creatures.

"He said, 'Can they climb it?'" I answer, and she looks back over the edge of the horn. The wolves are assembling. I pant slightly, my leg _killing_ me. I haven't run this much in weeks, heck, I haven't walked as much as I did today in weeks. I pay no attention the the things, for they scare me but I do watch Katniss. I hear a thud, and I see a blonde colored wolf 10 ft. from us sliding back down to the ground. Katniss stares at it and then…she shrieks, and her arrow shakes. I reach up clamping my hand on her arm.

"Katniss?" I ask concerned.

"It's her!" Is all she gets out.

"Who?" I ask. But she just shakes her head. Her eyes flicker from each wolf and mine do to as I try to see what she does.

"What is it, Katniss?" I ask shaking her shoulder.

"It's them. It's all of them. The others. Rue and Foxface and…all of the other tributes." She chokes. I look and I see what she sees. Their eyes. Their hair.

"What did they do to them? You don't think…those could be their real eyes?" I gasp. Katniss doesn't seem to care about their eyes. She just seems to be watching the little brown wolf that is easily meant to be Rue. They could let her go? They couldn't just drop the fact that Katniss loved her? Apparently not.

They wolves are trying something new. They've split into two groups at the back of the horn, launching themselves onto the horn. I'm still so close to the edge, but I don't think they even could make it near me. Katniss watches them as I do, but when I shout out, I grip her arm tightly in my hand. A wolf with eyes the color of the forest and fur short in sleek has latched onto my leg. Clove. Her eye hold pure hatred and I can't say it mutual. I can hear Katniss yelling but I'm just slashing the knife around at Clove's face. She releases me, and goes back to the ground, and Katniss pulls me into the center of the horn. Blood spurts from my leg, and I press one hand to gash and the other clutching Katniss's shirt. Cato is still panting, but it's not much. He is still lying there but he won't be much longer.

Katniss shoots at another wolf, when Cato grabs me. I'm yanked from Katniss side and she whips around just in time for my blood to splatter in her face. He holds me in a head lock, and I claw at his arm, but I've already lost a lot of blood. I can't breathe, and my leg just bleeds. Katniss raises one of her last arrows at Cato's head. I know that this won't end well. If she shoots at his head, he won't let go of me.

Cato laughs a thick booming sound. "Shoot me and he goes down with me." Katniss seems to realize it. I try pulling Cato's arm a little farther from my throat but he just tightens it. Katniss is stiff and her teeth are clenched. I wonder what Cato will do to me when I pass out from asphyxiation. Probably use me as a weapon. I press my hand onto the gash in my leg trying to stop the bleeding, when I get an idea. I raise my hand, it feels like it weighs a ton, and pretends like I'm going to struggle again. But I instead move my hand to draw an X on the back of Cato's hand. Cato realizes it too late, and Katniss's arrow pierces the back of his hand. Cato releases me and I fall back against him. Maybe I will die, and Katniss will feast in the Capitol. But I feel her grab at my arm and drag me back up. I clutch her, gasping for air, and for once, she clutches me back. She presses her face into my shoulder and I just hold her.

The mutts are on Cato, ripping him up. I won't watch him, not this sick and twisted part of the game. The growling and snarling and shrieks from Cato. How is he not dead? How hasn't the cannon gone off yet. The mutts are grumbling, some shrieking, so Cato must have a weapon. Cato is running around and after an hour, we hear him being dragged into the Cornucopia. But still no cannon. What the hell. My leg is still gushes out the blood.

When night falls the anthem plays and Cato's face still isn't in the sky. I can hear Cato moaning and I have to feel horrible. He shouldn't suffer this much, it's just cruel. Cato, though was a cruel person. Katniss pulls away from me a little and looks at my leg. My toes are numb and it spreading up my leg quickly. It burns and the warmth that Katniss gave me was disappearing as she looked at the wound.

She made me lie down and I did closing my eyes. The metal that we'd been sitting on is still warm and its more comfortable to lay here. My head feels light and I _can't _keep my eyes open as she ties something on my legs. Then it gets strangely tight, and it almost hurts. But I can't keep my eyes open, let alone fight her. She lays next to me and I see her shaking.

"Don't go to sleep." She tells me and I open my eyes. It's difficult, a nap sounds like a great idea right now, but if Katniss doesn't want me to then I won't.

"Are you cold?" I ask, unzipping my jacket so she can squeeze in with me. It's not much warmer for me, but Katniss looks content so I suck it up. The temperature keeps dropping, and the metal under us starts turning to ice.

"Cato may win this thing yet." She whispers to me. I shiver slightly and answer back.

"Don't you believe it." I say and I shiver harder.

The next hours are torture for me. I can't stop shaking and my legs gone numb. Cato doesn't miss a beat all night. Whimpering, groaning, moaning, and begging as the creatures work away at him.

"Why don't they just kill him?" She asks me. She must know that right now everyone is watching. Everyone wondering, 'Will Cato and Peeta both die?' or 'Will Katniss kill Cato before the mutts?' and so many other things.

"You know why." I croak out, pulling her closer to me. More time passes and I get more and more tired as the time passes. Katniss starts yelling at me every time I do, louder and louder. I try, I really do, but gets harder and harder. If Katniss weren't here I would have been asleep hours ago. I watch the moon the informing, and forcing, Katniss to watch or realize things that are happening. She dozes in and out, and I can't believe how much I envy her. I whisper to her that the suns rising the warmth coming with it. She opens her eyes and looks at the sky them my face, and fear flashes.

She presses her ear to the horn and I tell her that I think he's moved closer to the mouth.

"My last arrows in your tourniquet." She says and I reply is,

"Make it count." I unzip my jacket releasing her. So she removes the arrow, tying the tourniquet as tight as she can. She goes to the mouth of the cave and I hold her ankle so she doesn't slip. She gasps and I'm happy I don't have to look at the image that is down there. I hear the click and the silent whoosh as the arrows released and I pull her up.

"Did you get him?" I ask. And my answer is the cannon firing.

"Then we won, Katniss." I say, but all that I have is fading fast.

"Hurray for us." But there is no victory in her voice. I can hear the mutts bounding off somewhere and I just wait for the hovercraft. But none comes.

"Hey! What's going on?" She shouts up to the sky. My eyes flutter a little but I keep them open.

"Maybe it's the body. Maybe we have to move away from it." But I don't even think I can sit up.

"Okay. Think you can make it to the lake?" She asks.

"Think I better try." I mumble. We inch, I more slide, down the horn and fall to the ground. Katniss stands first, because I know I cant stand without help. My legs seeping blood again, but when Katniss helps me to the lake, she lets me drink from the lake. The hovercraft comes and takes Cato away and still no one comes for us.

"What are they waiting for." I ask, and my voice sounds unlike my own.

"I don't know." She says and she gets up, looking for a stick. To fix the tourniquet, I bet. I just sit there and then Claudius voice booms out around us.

"Greetings to the final contestants of the Seventy-forth Hunger Games. The earlier revision has been revoked. Closer examination of the rule book has been disclosed that only one winner may be allowed. Good luck and my the odds be ever in your favor." Oh but they aren't, you see. You gave me the hope I could love Katniss, and you see, that isn't aloud. Katniss stares at me and I just stare back. Not because I'm afraid, no Katniss had loved me for a while at least, but because now Katniss will have to kill me.

"If you think about it, it's not that surprising." I say softly. I painfully stand on my own. Then I walk toward her, slowly pulling my knife from my belt.

Her arrow is out and aimed at my heart before the knife's even out. I raise my eyebrows, my knife already in the water. Shame crosses her face as she drops the weapon instantly realizing my intentions.

"No, do it." I say and I limp toward her handing her the weapons again. I wouldn't mind death, at the moment it would feel nice to die. My leg hurts, my head pounds, and I really want to sleep.

"I can't." She corrects herself, "I won't."

"Do it. Before they send those mutts back or something. I don't want to die like Cato." I plead with her. But she just explodes on me.

"Then you shoot me! You shoot me and go home and live with it!" She shouts and I know what she means. If I lived this, I wouldn't be alive in a month.

"You know I can't," I tell her gently. "Fine, I'll go first anyway." I lean over and rip of the bandage, and I feel as fresh blood runs down my leg onto the dirt.

"No, you can't kill yourself." She whimpers and is on her knees trying to save the bandage that I through to the ground.

"Katniss, it's what I want." I tell her softly. She looks up at me with sad eyes.

"You're not leaving me here alone." She says. And I understand, for if she dies hear and I live, I will see her death everywhere.

"Listen," I say pulling her to her feet. "We both know they have to have a victor. It can only be one of us. Please, take it. For me. Katniss, you are my life now. And if I were to leave without you...I wouldn't leave. I would stay here reliving this day over and over. You can't do that to me." But Katniss isn't listening to me. She's thinking about something, and her fingers start fumbling with the pouch. I grab her wrist.

"No, I won't let you." I tell her with a glare, but it's harder than I thought.

"Trust me." She whispers and just stares at me. I try to think of what she's planning to do with those berries, a spoonful of them could kill us both…I release her wrist figuring out the plan. She puts a few into my hand and a few in hers. "On the count of three," She says.

I bend over and press my lips to hers, for whit I think to be the last time, very gently. "The count of three." I repeat.

We turn, pressing out back together, and or empty hands clamped together.

"Hold them out, I want everyone to see." I want them all to see what these stupid games can do. There will be no victor this year. If she must die, there shall be none. I hold my hand out closer to me than hers are. If I need to I will eat mine quicker and she could live. They could save her. She squeezes my hand, her last farewell.

"One…two…three!" She yells and I pop the berries into my mouth. A trumpet blares and I just barley taste the sweet juices of one berry, which numbs my tongue. I don't swallow though, listening to the frantic voice that's filling our ears.

"Stop! Stop! Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victors of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark! I give you- the tributes of District Twelve!"

**(Ok I have a feeling someone's going to be like 'But Peeta never ate the berries !' … Ok I will tell you, I did this because I thought when Peeta passes out, it seemed very…ironic that, **_**that's**_** when he collapses. So I thought he just had enough of the berries to knock him out… Yep there are like 3 more chapters in the book but I might combine the chapters so there's only 1 or 2 more till I start 'The Boy Who Lost All' or 'The Boy Who Got Burned' (Catching fire, vote for the name?) yep so that's it! Bye! Might have another think up tonight, might not. IDK)~Rue Finnick Mellark :D**


	23. Girl On Fire can Burn

23

I spit out the berries from my mouth but I still have the small amount of juice on my tongue. It's not a good thing but I rush to the lake, towing Katniss with me, cleaning my mouth out with the clean water. My tongue is still numb and I hope that I can get to the Capitol before I knock myself out.

"You didn't swallow any?" She asks and I lie to her, shaking my head.

"You?"

"Guess I'd be dead by now if I did."

"I did bite down on one though," I say feeling bad that I lied but she doesn't hear me over the roar of the Capitol audience, that are cheering live. The hovercraft appears and Katniss, keeps her arms on me. I step onto the ladder and am froze there. It's probably a good thing though, my eyes are drooping and I can't stand straight. The blackness covers my vision, first as spots and then soon enough, just blackness. I feel the current stop, and me slumping to the floor. I can feel Katniss holding onto my jacket, feel it ripping. I hear her screaming, but I could move, and the blackness covered my mind as well.

I woke up and I stay still. I don't move an inch, keeping my breath steady. My stomach felt empty, and my chest ached. I felt someone holding my hand, and the gentle squeeze that they gave it. I peek under my lashes and see the aqua hair that is Portia. I open my eyes completely and she sighs, her red eyes full of thanks.

"Peeta, you made it!" She says with such gratefulness I can't help but feel bad.

"How long have I been out?" I ask her.

"Well, you were in the arena a little over 2 weeks, you lost 40 pounds sense entering it, and have come out without something." And all I think is Katniss died.

"How did she go?" I ask, but Portia shakes her head with a small smile.

"No, Peeta, she's fine. I meant this." She carefully pulls up the bed sheet and I gasp, sitting up, careful not to pull out the tubes that are hooked to me. My leg, everything below the knee, was gone. I stare at Portia, eyes widened in fear.

"Your alive, Peeta, always remember that. You came out without part of your leg, but you will learn to walk. We have a prosthetic ready for you, and once your better we'll have it fit."

"Where's Katniss?" I ask.

"She's still out. You slept a little longer than we thought, but you're a little better, than her. You have a little more weight and are a little less beat up because of the surgery." Portia tells me brushing my hair from my face. I lean back and take her hand, thanking her.

"No, thank you, for winning. I'll be back later, but I have to get your outfit ready ok? I'll send someone in." She tells me and kisses my cheek lightly, turning, and leaving me in the room alone. There's a small thing of food, but I can barely eat it. I just keep checking my leg, thinking it was all fake.

Doctors come in and out, I doze in and out. Portia is sometimes there and other times not. One point I wake and my arm is free of tubes. A doctor is waiting and helps me into the leg. It didn't look like a leg, it looked like a machine.

It hooked to my knee easily and then they fixed the ankle. I watch and listen as they tell me that I have to take it off in water, and when I sleep. How to adjust it so I can run or walk easier. I have to take it off and put it back on a few times before they even let me stand on it. And when I do I just about fall over. I feel off balanced and it scares me a little. The doctor lets me lean on her as I try walking at first. But I walk around a little and they give me stick to help me walk. It becomes simpler and soon I can walk without the cane, but I still limp a little and I can't completely put all my weight on it. Portia comes in just as I stumble into the wall. She giggles and I glare.

This routine continues for a few days, and soon I can walk on my own with only cane. The doctor has me jogging and Portia walks in with a giggle.

"Come on, you need to get ready." She says and I use the cane and her to help me to the room. Tentic smiles when he sees me and Kem and Gem smile brightly hugging me. I hug them back, careful not to fall over. They don't do to much; just rub me in the chemicals again, which I don't mind. They all whisper as I remove my leg so I can bathe. I pay no attention as they clean my up, and as they do let me snack the whole time.

Once that was over I dry off and balance on one foot as they look me over again. My hands have been removed of the scares that protected them from burns, but this skin is still thick and isn't going to burn easily. I put the leg on again and Portia shoos everyone out, and helps me dress. My pants black and my shirt is a simple yellow that's seems to glow. The shirt has a little padding, making me look well-muscled and the correct weight again. I have a gold tie, and a pair of black boots that help my balance.

Portia hands me a metal cane that again helps my balance. I look into the mirror and hug Portia thanking her. She smiles and walks me under the stage where I will wait.

Katniss is on the other side of that wall, and I just hope nothing like my leg had happened to her. Portia notices and tells me she's completely healthy. Portia kisses my cheek again and runs out. I wait alone down there. I sit on the floor my leg stiff and hurting.

I can hear them starting, the anthem booming and Caesar greeting everyone. The Prep teams are the first to go out. I can hear Tentic telling Kem and Gem to stop switching spots, because soon he wouldn't be able to tell them apart. I laugh a little, because I can see them all jumping around bowing, laughing, and being themselves. Then Effie is introduced, and I feel glad that we won. For her, this is a miracle. Maybe she'll get a better district next year.

Then Cinna and Portia. I can imagine the grin that would be on her face, how she would give Cinna more of the stage, even though she was the one that made the firy concoction that made us famous. She would bow and smile and probably wave to everyone.

Haymitch comes next and he gets a huge stomping cheer. He's done the impossible. Kept _two_ tributes alive from the worst district, and it's just generally a feet to keep one alive. I stand as I listen, knowing I'm next. The ground moves under me and I stumble a little but I recover before anyone sees.

The lights blind me, but I see Katniss on the other side of the stage and smile widely. She sees me and launches herself at me. I lose my balance but catch myself, and she seems surprised I stumbled. I wrap her in my arms and kiss her. I kiss her neck, her cheeks, her lips and the crowd goes utterly insane. I just kiss her and after ten minutes Caesar taps my shoulder to get on with the show. I brush him aside, hold Katniss closer to me. I feel Haymitch push me and again I stumble and I glare back at him, not wanting to fall onto her.

We head over to a love seat and once I sit down, Katniss is practically on my lap. But then she kicks off her sandals, tucks her legs under her, and leans her head on my shoulder. Her dress matches my shirt, and she looks like she did a few years back. Less rugged, and of course as beautiful as ever. I wrap my arm around her shoulder hugging her closer to me.

Caesar makes a few jokes, but them the show goes on. This will take 3 hours. We will watch the death of all the tributes. In the corner of the screen it will show Katniss and I's reaction. She grips my free hand with her two and the show starts.

The first part is everything before the Games. Training, interviews, reaping's, and so on. The music is fast and it makes me want to punch them all for everyone we see is dead.

In the arena it shows the bloodbath, my fight to get into the Careers and Katniss hiding in the woods. It shows how I slightly miss lead the Careers, telling them she wasn't good with any weapon beside a knife, and that was it. Showing me awake under the tree, fighting Cato to keep him away from her, and I see that while I was in the river bank dying whispering 'Katniss' in my sleep.

Katniss on the other hand, is off dodging fire balls, blowing up the supplies which I squeeze her shoulders for. And then her looking for Rue, finding her, Marvel-that bastard- killing her, and Katniss killing him. And then she sings. She sings every note of The Meadow song to Rue as she dies. She shuts down next to me and I rub her shoulders, kissing her forehead lightly.

Then it announces that 2 of us can win. Katniss burst alive on screen finding me, nursing me back to health, knocking me out, and every single kiss we shared. We sadly also see Cato being mauled alive, and no it's my turn to shut down.

The Berries are next. Everyone hushes each other, and they watch as we hold the berries up, ready to die for each other. But that's not where it ends. No it shows Katniss pounding on the glass that I'm on the other side of, being worked on. She's screaming my name and I have to hug her a little closer to my side.

The anthem plays and we all rise, we with slight difficulty, and President Snow comes out followed by a little girl holding the crown. The crowd murmurs confusion as there is only one crown, but Snow picks it up and twists it separating it into two halves. He smiles at us, placing one half on my head and the other on Katniss's.

We bow and cheer and wave to everyone. When that's over we're rushed to the Presidents Mansion, to the Victory Banquet. We're passed from person to person, sponsors, fans, and people trying to get pictures. More and more people become drunk, and Katniss laughs and smiles. But I never release her hand.

The sun peeks over the horizon and we finally leave. My leg kills and I wish that I was allowed to sit any of the time we were there.

We get back, but I'm sadly thrown to Portia to have something fitted. It's apparently a sock like think the make the leg more comfortable. It's fitted and I'm sent back to my room, when my leg was off, I fall asleep when my head hits the pillow.

I sleep for a few hours, 6 or 7 maybe. But Haymitch comes by and tells me to get the hell up and I'm sent up to Portia, where I eat quickly. Tentic and Gem start working on my hair, and Kem fits the sock onto my leg, and once that's on she makes me eat more.

Portia comes in, and helps me into a white pants, a red shirt, and a white jacket. My boots are like yesterday, but are again white. If this is what I'm wearing I'm wonder what Katniss is wearing. Portia has to put a tiny bit of make up, which annoys me to hell. She hands the cane and we both head out.

In the room, Katniss stands waiting in a white dress. She looks almost like a bride…my bride. But I know she isn't. I walk over and pull her to the side, saying with a smile, "I hardly get to see you. Haymitch seems bent on keeping us apart."

"Yes, he's gotten very responsible lately." She says, but she's hiding something.

"Well, there's just this and we go home. The he can't watch us all the time." I say, and she shivers a little. Caesar comes and pulls us over carefully to the love seat. Katniss curls up next to me, on my lap once more, and I have my arm wrapped around her.

Me and Caesar pick up the simple banter and the normal joking that happened the night of the first interview. Katniss smiles and giggles, but doesn't do much more. She always throws the questions back to me.

"Well, Peeta, we know, from out days in the cave, that it was love at first sight for you from what, age five?" He asks me.

"From the moment I laid eyes on her." I say with a nod.

"But, Katniss, what a ride for you. I think the real excitement for the audience was watching you fall for him. When did you realize you were in love with him?" he asks her.

"Oh, that's a hard one." Her voice is pleading for help. I flash a look to Caesar.

"Well, I know when it hit me. The night when you shouted out his name from the tree," Caesar says and Katniss looks up, not pleading anymore.

"Yes, I guess that was it. I mean, until that point, I just tried not to think about what my feelings might be, honestly, because it was confusing and it only made things worse if I actually cared about him But then in the tree everything changed." She says.

"Why do you think that was?" Caesar asks, but it's obvious.

"Maybe…because for the first time…there was a chance I could keep him." She says. Haymitch huffs, and Caesar pulls how a handkerchief, not speaking for a moment. I press my forehead to her temple and ask. "So now that you've got me, what are you going to do with me?" She turns.

"Put you somewhere you can't get hurt." And she presses her lips to mine. Caesar asks about out injuries, how we got them, what they were like. They talk about the mutts. But then Caesar asks about my leg.

"New leg" She says, and bends over pulling up my pant leg. "Oh no." she whispers seeing the strange metal contraption.

"No one told you?" He asks her gently. Just a shake of the head.

"I haven't had the chance." I say. I was planning to tell her when I walked her to her room, but sadly that didn't work.

"It's my fault. Because I used the tourniquet." She whispers, eyes wide with fear.

"Yes. It's your fault I'm alive." I tell her, with a gentle gaze.

"He's right. He'd have bled to death for sure without it." Caesar tells her, trying to console her. She knows he's right, she must, but she hides her face in my shirt. It takes a few minutes to coax her out, but she's very reluctant. She's shaking a little when she finally does come back.

Caesar avoids questioning her, and I kiss her temple lightly every now and then. But when the berries come up, they point the question to Katniss.

"Katniss, I know you've had a shock, but I've got to ask. The moment when you pulled out those berries. What was going on in your mind…Hm?" he asks her.

It takes her a while to answer, like she's not even sure why she did it. Like she has no idea, it was just to defy them. But she basically whispers, "I don't know, I just…couldn't bear the thought of…being without him."

"Peeta? Anything to add?" He asks and I tell him that that sums it up. He signs us off, and everyone there is crying, and sighing, laughing and hugging us. Portia bounces down wrapping me in a tight hug. I see Haymitch and Katniss, in a strange one armed embrace.

We go back to our rooms, and gather what's left of our stuff. And when we get up there I find nothing. I brought no token, and no clothing that I wanted to keep.

We get driven around to the train station, and we are pushed onto the train. Portia tells me she'll see me soon, and maybe she'll bring her children with. I smile and tell her I would love to meet them.

We go through the tunnel again and once out of it, it feels like the air is safe. We are free, and we will be home soon. We eat a huge dinner, and everyone's happy and laughing. But when the interview comes on we all silence ourselves to watch.

We stop for fuel and me and Katniss walk along the tracks, hand in hand. I gather her a small bundle of flowers. She looks semi pleased but I think she just wants to be home. But then as she stares at the flowers pain and lust flashes there.

"What's wrong?" I ask, but she blows it off, telling me it's nothing. We walk along hand it hand a little farther in front of the train. Katniss seems confused about something, but I don't ask not caring.

Katniss jumps as Haymitch lays a hand on her back. He speaks in a low voice about how we're doing a great job and we just need to keep it up till we get back home and the camera's leave. He doesn't look at me.

"What's he mean?" I ask.

"It's the Capitol. They didn't like our stunt with the berries." She blurts.

"What? What are you talking about?" I ask once more.

"It seemed too rebellious. So, Haymitch has been coaching me through the last few days. So I didn't make it worse." She tells me with a shrug.

"Coaching you? But not me." I clarify.

"He knew you were smart enough to get it right." She tells me like it's obvious.

"I didn't know there was anything to get right! So what you're saying is, these last few days and the I guess…back in the arena…that was just some strategy you two worked out." I say, disbelief coming into my voice slowly.

"No I mean I couldn't even talk to him in the arena, could I?" She stammers out, shifting.

"But you knew what he wanted you to do, didn't you?" She bites her lip. "Katniss?" I plead, but I know where this is going. I knew now why she would be confused at some of the things I had said to her. How I was able to 'act' so perfectly when we were 'in love.' She was never 'in love', she was always 'acting.' I release her hand.

"Not all of it." She says, clutching the flowers.

"Than how much? No, forget that," I don't want to know, "I guess the real question is what's going to be left when we get home?" I ask her.

"I don't know. The closer we get to District 12, the more confused I get." I wait for her to continue to tell me more.

"Well, let me know when you work it out." I say and I feel the tears pricking, the pain seeping in, and the hatred rising. I head back to the train, brushing past Haymitch who I glare at. He knew, and he played me. Effie stands by the door and she just gives me a sad look.

"What? You always knew! Why do you look so upset now that I know?" I spit at her. She steps back and shakes her head. I run to my room, not leaving at all.

I don't come out for dinner, I don't answer the door. I just stay there letting the tears fall to the floor. They crash down and I have to force the swears back down my throat by suffocating with a pillow.

The next time I see her, is when we're pulling into the station of 12. But sadly it's filled with people so I extend my hand to her.

"One more time? For the audience?" I say, but no emotion crosses. Her hand clutches mine with such intensity that I wonder why she now cares. We smile as we step down from the train, pretending not to want to be mile apart. Or at least she does.

We greet everyone and see our families. My mother isn't there, and neither is Father. But Baggett tells me it's because of Pepper. She was born 5 days ago. We get split apart after a while, forced to our new homes. Once we're alone I hug Baggett so tightly he asks what's wrong. I look up at him eyes brimming with tears once more.

"It was all an illusion. All a lie." I tell him sadly and he hugs me back saying he's sorry.

But I'm not. For, the Boy with The Bread, just lost my The Girl on Fire.

**Ok guys thank you so much for reading! Your reviews mean the world to me and I wouldn't have finished this if you hadn't been there. :D I will post one more chapter to this, which will contain the link to Catching Fire, which still doesn't have a name! Vote on the ones from the last chapter or give me idea's. Thank you so much!~Rue Finnick Mellark**


	24. Epiloge

I sat up swiftly from my new bed. I couldn't sleep all i saw was Katniss dying. Once she was watching Rue get killed, and she jumped in front of the spear. Other times she was being eaten by the mutts. And some times, she died when i handed her those berries. It wasn't easy to sleep through it, so i stayed awake hoping she would come back to me. But she never did. She just stayed away never speaking and never loving.

I was now sitting in front of an canvas, that was one of the many painting i had done in the last 4 hours. I let the brush cover the page, and i sit back wiping my hand on my shirt which was already covered in paint.

The painting was of her, of course, we with the bandage wrapped on her head. She was asleep in her pool of blood and i you could see part of my leg. I stared at the picture and saw the horror. I wasn't ever going to hold ehr with the same love ever again. I was going to watch her life in pictures of my own imagination.

"Katniss," I whisper letting a few tears roll down my cheek. "Why did you let me go?"

**So yep, thats the final chapter of The Boy With The Bread. Down below is the link to the second book, The Boy Who Lost All**, **and i would love for the reviews to follow over there. please recomend me to people and also Review the new story! I wont post chapter 2 until i get 3 reviews. THanks guys, Bye!**

.net/s/7641332/1/The_Boy_Who_Lost_All


	25. UPDATE!

**Hi Everyone! So i decided to rewrite this! Please go to my profile and look for the story called The Boy with The Bread 2.0! It would mean the world to me if you would go review and watch it :) Thank you agian!**

**-Acacia**


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